SPRINGFIELD – More than 600 children from across Illinois will get to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the nation’s premier institution dedicated to the 16th president, as the result of generous contributions by the Winnick Family Foundation.
The Winnick Field Trip Initiative supports the transportation costs of visiting the presidential museum for schools with limited resources. To qualify, the schools must have a low-income enrollment of greater than 30 percent. The students who get to visit can be anywhere from 4th grade to 12th.
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The schools receiving support are:
- Dixon: Reagan Middle School, 200 students
- East Peoria: PL Bolin Elementary School, 47 students
- Creston: Creston Community Consolidated School District #161, 13 students
- Polo: Aplington Middle School, 94 students
- DuQuoin: DuQuoin Elementary School, 91 students
- Dolton: Franklin Elementary School, 97 students
- Coulterville: Coulterville CUSD 1, 59 students
- Lincoln: Northwest Elementary School, 33 students
“In addition to providing funding for 634 students to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Winnick Field Trip Initiative ensures students extend their learning beyond the classroom as they participate in extension activities reinforcing their learning around President Lincoln’s life and legacy,” said Heather Nice, the presidential library’s education director.
Schools use visits to supplement their classroom lessons in many ways. For instance, the students from East Peoria will create propaganda posters from either a Northern or Southern perspective as well as create Civil War artifacts to display in their classroom’s Civil War museum.
“For a decade, the Winnick Field Trip Initiative has provided more than 8,000 students with visits to our museum, immersing them in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. We truly appreciate the Winnick Family Foundation’s continued investment in young people. Connecting students with Lincoln’s inspiring example helps them envision greater possibilities for their own lives, and we couldn’t provide such trips without generous donors like the Winnick Family Foundation,” said Rene Brethorst, interim director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.
The Winnick Family Foundation focuses its giving in the program areas of education, literacy, health care, art, culture, animal welfare and the needs of the worldwide Jewish community.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology. It also serves as the state historical library.
The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln material, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to other aspects of Illinois history. The museum uses exhibits, eye-catching special effects and innovative story-telling to educate and inspire visitors from around the world.
Learn more at www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov or by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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