At CU Schools Foundation, we believe partnership is powerful.
Often this partnership takes the form of grant checks for teacher projects funded by our generous 365 Club Members and Corporate Community Partners. 
And sometimes…its even more…
Sometimes, it looks like a classroom so extraordinary that it becomes the highlight of an international delegation’s visit that leads to long-term support.
Last February, a team of educators, administrators, and advocates from Lithuania came to Champaign through the Rotary Open World Program. Lithuania had recently passed legislation mandating that students receiving special education services be educated in general education schools and classrooms. They came to learn how our community has implemented inclusive practices effectively.
Janet Ellis-Nelson — Champaign Rotary member, one of our On-Call Teacher Allies and a retired special education teacher and principal with 39 years of experience — arranged six classroom visits in Champaign, along with additional visits across the region. She has worked with, observed, and evaluated countless teachers over nearly four decades.
And she said this:
The BEST day of the Lithuanian delegation’s visit was observing Mary Nada’s classroom at Edison Middle School.
Mary’s classroom serves students with significant intellectual and communication disabilities. What the visitors witnessed wasn’t simply compliance with inclusion legislation.
They witnessed joy.
They were welcomed with coffee and donuts. Students prepared pigs-in-a-blanket in an air fryer to share. They used specialized communication devices to play games and interact with guests and two general education middle school students who hope to become future special education teachers.
Janet later reflected:
Students with these types of disabilities can at times struggle with social interaction or communication. But because the classroom atmosphere was so joyful and harmonious, the students were incredibly social.
For Janet, a seasoned educator who has seen thousands of classrooms, Mary Nada was one of the absolute best.
That kind of affirmation matters.
It mattered so much that Janet didn’t just leave inspired. She chose to act.
Through the On-Call Teacher Allies Program, she volunteered to fund Mary’s Functional Life Skills Snack Cart on a monthly basis.
The Snack Cart isn’t just about snacks. It supports vocational training, financial responsibility, and social skill development. It provides real-world application in a structured, supportive environment.
When Mary learned of the potential partnership, her response reflected something deeper than gratitude for the funding of the snacks.
She wrote:
“Of course, the opportunity for partnership and funding is important, but the recognition of the work I do with and for my students made me feel truly valued. It was incredibly affirming to hear that our classroom left such a strong and positive impression.”
That is the heart of the Adopt-A-School and On-Call Teacher Allies Program.
Yes, CUSF provides grants.
Yes, we fund fields trips and special projects.
Yes, we provide supplemental education tools.
But we are also seeking to create space for community members to walk into classrooms and say:
We see you.
We value your work.
We believe in your students, and we want to walk alongside and support you.
From Lithuania to Edison Middle School, the message was clear: excellence is happening here.
And when community partners step forward to answer the call as Adopt-A-School Community Advocate Partners or On Call Allies … whether through monthly encouragement, classroom volunteering, the purchase of bus tokens, or guest speaking — that excellence grows.
If you would like to become an Adopt-A-School Partner or join the On Call Teacher Allies email list to directly support the innovative, inclusive, and joyful work happening in our schools, we would love to connect with you.
Because sometimes impact starts with a visit.
And sometimes it grows into a partnership.
Current Requests on the On Call Teacher Allies List
Please email info@cuschoolsfoundation.org if you would like to receive the updated list in your email inbox periodically.
