"Only on the foundation of education can our children build useful lives and a stable society."
The Partnership for Educational Excellence is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational foundation dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children in the accredited schools of Community Unit School District 7 (CUSD7) in Macoupin County, Illinois.
Since 1992 an all volunteer board drawn from the community has shaped policy and guided The Partnership in significant growth. Our two programs are:
Classroom mini-grants are our premier program. They fulfill the desire of many donors to place their funds in the hands of as many children as possible. By allowing teachers to purchase supplementary curricular materials, the mini-grants meet this goal.
Academic tuition scholarships are our second program. These modest awards of $2000 primarily serve a non-economic purpose: recognizing academic achievement and potential among students who seldom receive scholarships. Past scholars have attended technical schools, junior colleges, private and state four year colleges in Illinois as well as prestigious institutions in other states.
For Our Classrooms
The Partnership for Educational Excellence is pleased to mark the resumption of its classroom mini-grant program in all three CUSD7 schools with a 2025-26 donation of $18,579.26.
These awards, as always, are given for proposals that focus on core academic skills, critical thinking, creativity/the arts, problem solving, and life skills. Team teaching and/or interdisciplinary activities are encouraged as well.
Echoing the principals at the other schools, Tara Cooper co-principal at Ben-Gil Elementary says: “We send a huge THANK YOU to the Partnership! These resources support district initiatives and will ultimately benefit our students!”
John Fassero, Jr., president and founding member says: “Since The Partnership’s founding in 1992 by Nancy Grandone, donations by alums, local businesses, and residents, have allowed us put more than $733,000 into the hands of our school children. We humbly thank all our supporters for their trust and generosity that allowed us to offer grants up to $750 each.” Funds are deposited with the schools; unexpended money is returned to The Partnership yearly.
Fassero continues: “We did step away from individual grants in 2018 as other opportunities arose. But as always we are committed to supporting core academic excellence so our students can achieve to their potential.”
In 2019 The Partnership shifted to “block” grants to fund principals’ school-wide applications. Then COVID interrupted all programs from 2020 through 2022. And from 2023 through 2025 The Partnership awarded a total $90,000 to help put laptop computers into the hands of every student.
“Our commitment has never faltered,” says Fassero. “Now renewed interest among teachers and our board of directors has us making classroom gifts again.”
At Ben-Gil Elementary $13,252.32 was given to 20 applicants including: Preschool Science; Autism Helper; Read to Succeed; Building Literacy; Enhancing the Library; and Uke Can Do It (band).
At Gillespie Middle School $3,350.34 to six teachers, including: Catching the Chemical Criminal; Writing to Become Published Authors and Teachers; and Encouraging Reading.
At Gillespie High School $1,976.60 to three applicants: Light Tables for the Art Room; Writing a Research Paper; and The MLA (Modern Language Association) Style Book Made Easy.
For information contact The Partnership: info@thepartnership7.org
To donate contact thepartnership7.org or write via USPS to The Partnership, P.O. Box 125 Gillespie IL 62033.- 30 -
Learn more about applying for a classroom mini-grant.
For Our Graduates
The Partnerhip for Educational Excellence awarded $2000 Scholarships for seniors who met certain requirements that included filling out an application and submitting recommendation letters. For the graduating class of 2025, 18 seniors received scholarships. “This class perfectly embodies our policy of rewarding every ability level for hard work, involvement in school and community activities, and proven ability to set goals,” said John Fassero, Jr., a founding member and president of The Partnership. Since 1992 The Partnership has invested in 340 GHS graduates pursuing postsecondary education.
Learn more about applying for a $2000 student scholarship.
Become a Donor
The lifeblood of The Partnership is the generosity of thousands of alums, neighbors, local businesses, charitable foundations, and a few corporations. Whether a simple donation to remember a loved one or a major gift, every dollar entrusted to The Partnership is carefully protected and used according to the donor’s wishes. Dr. D. Ross and Mrs. Rosemary Billiter recently presented The Partnership with $25,000 for scholarships in gratitude to area residents who supported this surgeon’s medical practice and in hopes that their example will encourage others to include The Partnership in their estate plans.
Learn more about our donor or become a donor.
About The Partnership
The Partnership for Educational Excellence is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational foundation dedicated to improving educational opportunities for children in all the accredited schools in Community Unit School District 7 (CUSD7) in Macoupin County in Illinois.
Learn more and meet our board of directors.