At our CU Schools Foundation Kick-Off Breakfast on August 20, 2025, we had the privilege of celebrating the very first Adopt-A-School Award recipients, community partners who have stepped forward to build lasting, meaningful relationships with our schools in this pilot program. The Adopt-A-School program was born out of a simple but powerful vision: what [...]
Last Wednesday morning (August 20, 2025), the CU Schools Foundation gathered with more than 170 teachers, community members, students, and local leaders for our 2025 Annual Kick-Off Breakfast. The room was filled with energy, excitement, and a shared commitment to supporting our schools and empowering the next generation of leaders. Guests began arriving at [...]
We are thrilled to announce that Scott Miller, owner and operator of SamCo Management/Jersey Mike's Subs in Champaign, has taken the next step in his commitment to local education by joining the CU Schools Foundation Principal’s Circle Community Partners for the 2025–26 school year, beginning in July 2025. As a proud Champaign–Urbana public schools [...]
We’re kicking off the school year with new energy and a refreshed approach at this year’s CU Schools Foundation Kick-Off Breakfast — previously known as the 365 Club Breakfast. 📅Wednesday, August 20, 2025⏰ 7:30–9:30 AM (doors open at 7:30, program begins at 8:00)📍 I Hotel and Conference Center, Chancellor Ballroom (1900 S. First Street, [...]
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Some people discover their calling early—and for one young woman working in our schools, what began as a part-time role quickly grew into a lifelong passion for education. Dreshianna Bishop first stepped into the Champaign Unit 4 school district in 2019, working in the Kids Plus After-School Program at Carrie Busey Elementary. Encouraged by her mom, who had once [...]
CLICK ON EACH COLUMN TO READ MORE ABOUT EACH OF OUR CHEER-WORTHY AREAS THIS MONTH!
What happens when teachers speak up—and a community listens? Something powerful begins. The Adopt-A-School program was born from the CU Schools Foundation’s 2024 Strategic Planning process, deeply shaped by the voices of Unit 4 and District 116 educators who shared their needs, hopes, and challenges through surveys and listening sessions. What we heard loud [...]
Each year, the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation (CUSF), honors a remarkable educator who exemplifies the very best of what it means to teach, lead, and serve. This year, that honor goes to Emily Walsh, Mathematics Instructional Coach at Champaign Central High School, as the recipient of the 2025 Mann-Hankel Teaching Excellence Award. The Mann-Hankel [...]
Congratulations to the 2025 Promising Educators Scholarship Recipients! from Champaign Unit 4 Schools and Urbana School District #116 We are proud to recognize three outstanding students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to pursuing a career in education. Each has shown the passion, leadership, and heart it takes to inspire the next generation. [...]
