Six community organizations and groups have been awarded a total of $12,455 this year to support regional environmental and conservation projects through the annual Judy Beck Grant.

Cool Learning Experience was awarded $2,000 to support a program designed to teach middle-school students about soil, agriculture and the ecosystem. Funding will primarily cover transportation to educational sessions that provide hands-on environmental education. Cool Learning Experience’s mission is to teach kids about ecology and citizenship, connecting them with professionals who inspire activism.

Greener Glenview was awarded $2,300 to set up free public compost drop-off stations at two locations in the Village of Glenview, serviced by a private composting company. The goals are to divert food waste from landfills, educate residents about composting and demonstrate community support for a composting program.

Greener Glenview received a second $950 grant to send a sustainability advocate to a conference, helping to advance sustainability practices in local schools. This initiative strengthens environmental curriculum and improves existing practices without increasing teacher’s workload.

The Grove was awarded $1,205 for the creation of “adventure packs” that are designed to empower self-guided outdoor learning. The project focuses on themes such as birdwatching, animal tracking, insects and pollinators, and tree identification, and aims to foster connections to environmental learning and stewardship.

Second Nurture of Northern Cook and Lake Counties was awarded $2,000 to support their monthly gatherings for foster families, offering a safe and supportive environment with childcare, meals and activities. The meetings also include sessions with a family support specialist to help foster parents navigate the child welfare system and access support services. The funding will be used for meals, activities for children and training for foster parents.

True North Educational Cooperative 804 was awarded $1,000 to maintain and enhance their sensory garden located at Historic Wagner Farm. This unique space provides therapeutic benefits for individuals of all ages and abilities, and features a variety of plants and sensory elements. The project also aims to support biodiversity, use native plants and serve as an educational tool for farm visitors.

A teacher from Zion-Benton High School was awarded $3,000 to assist with My Brother’s Keeper, a school club that organizes bi-monthly meetings, field trips to historical museums, and digital media camps to enrich educational experiences and build meaningful relationships. Funding will cover field trip expenses, purchase club apparel, and provide supplies for meetings. More than 60% of the students involved in My Brother’s Keeper live at or below the poverty line.

In 2020, The Beck Family Foundation and Hurvis Family launched the Judy Beck Grant program to support generations of new conservation leaders to continue the great work and legacy of building and strengthening our local community. The program has funded 32 projects to date, with $55,262 in funding.

A dedicated environmentalist, Judy Beck served as a park board commissioner for 32 years, and was a village natural resources commissioner and member of the Glenview/Glencoe League of Women Voters. In addition to her local leadership, Judy also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 30 years, served as the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Board President in 1994 and was named IAPD Commissioner of the Year in 1996.