R Education Foundation
Who We Are
R And R Foundation Specialists
The Richard Myles Johnson Foundation, established in 1958 as the California Filene Foundation, provides financial education resources for credit unions in California and Nevada. Never has there been more of a need to reach young people with vital financial decision-making information than now. Founded in 2010, the Boonville R-1 Education Foundation was organized to raise f unds to support, foster and promote the growth, progress and well-being of the Boonville R-1 School District. The Foundation provides supplemental support for the District's programs and initiatives within the policies of the Boonville R-1 School District.
The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation was established as a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) in 1986 to assist with the financial needs of the Rock Island-Milan School District 41. Since that time, we have strengthened our community's schools and provided opportunities for its students to continue their education. We strive to 'Be a Rock' - always there for support when the district and its students need us.
The Education Foundation is the single largest provider of scholarships to Rocky students. But we do much more than award scholarships. Our mission - Enhancing Academic Opportunities for Student Success - also involves a commitment to enriching the current educational environment of all our students. With the support of our generous donors, are able to fulfill that mission and provide the critical resources, materials, and programs to enable that success for the students, teachers, and schools of District 41.
2020-2021 Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation Board of Directors:
John Phillips, President
Pryce T. Boeye, Vice-President
Cindy Lukasik, Treasurer
Shellee Showalter, Secretary
S R Patil Education Foundation
Bryan Blew
Barb CadyZach Edwards
Chris Elsberg
Jerry Jones
Dr. Reginald Lawrence
Bob Swanson
Monta Ponsetto, Executive Director
Honorary Board:
Pryce Boeye
Bill Cleaver
Reed Doughty
Rose Ann Hass
Ted Johnson
Russ Kennel
Jody Leiby
Jon Loquist
Sue McDevitt
Gary Miner
Gary Rowe
Cosette Thoms
Dave VanLandegen
Don Wentler
Events & Announcements
- The 2021-2022 PRIME Grant Application is now available! The deadline for receipt of application and completed cover sheet is June 11, 2021. All RIMSD41 teachers may apply for one of our 3 awards - up to $1,500 for Teacher Grants, up to $3,000 for Departmental/School Grants, and up to $5,000 for Multi-School Grants to be used during the 2021-2022 school year. Applicants will be notified of status on July 16 and awards will be announced during the Staff Institute on July 29. Find the link to the application on the PRIME Grants page of this website under the 'Grants' tab.
- Seniors: The 2021 RIMEF Scholarship Application is now available! The RIMEF has 41 named scholarships providing up to 56 scholarship opportunities. Last year, the Education Foundation awarded a total of $89,800 in scholarships just to Rocky seniors! The application is available in online form only through our website (see the scholarship tab) or on the RIHS website. Application and related materials are due by March 4, 2021 - 4:30 p.m. Please contact the Education Foundation at rimef@rimsd41.org or 309.581.2154 with questions or for more information.
R&r Education Foundation
- The RIMEF has just added 5 new scholarships to be awarded to the Class of 2021! Please check the 'Our Scholarships' page on this website for descriptions of these new awards benefiting our deserving RIHS seniors. These new scholarships increase our total to benefit Rocky grads to nearly $100,000 in named scholarships and Austin Academic Achievement Awards. The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation 2021 Scholarship Application will be posted to our website and to the Counseling page of the RIHS website shortly after January 1, 2021.
- $58,438 in PRIME (Promoting Rock Island Milan Education) Grants has been awarded for the 2020-2021 academic year! 27 PRIME Grants have been awarded - 15 Teacher, 8 Departmental/School and 4 Multi-School to 33 teachers funding a variety of programs and materials - many to assist them as they teach their students remotely. See a list of all the grants funded in our upcoming Fall 2020 Newsletter and on this website under the 'Grants' tab - 'PRIME Grants. ' Over $800,000 in PRIME Grants (originally called Teacher Grants) have been issued to the teachers and schools of the district since the program started. In addition to the funds for their programs, each teacher will receive an award letter and an award plaque to hang in their classroom courtesy of Edwards Creative! Congratulations to all the recipients and thanks for using our PRIME Grants to provide new and innovative programs and materials to your classrooms!
- The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation (RIMEF) Board of Directors has awarded $40,277.66 to fund internet access for Digital Equity in the Rock Island-Milan School District (RIMSD) over a period of 3 years. The RIMEF's funds will provide 26 indoor/outdoor antennas and 3 years of internet service for 28 Cradlepoint cellular routers currently placed throughout Rock Island and Milan. This technology is part of the District’s ROCKfi (Reaching Our Community’s Kids with fidelity) network allowing any RIMSD student to connect through their district-issued Chromebook or personal device. Support of the Digital Equity program is made possible through two $5,000 grants from the Doris and Victor Day Foundation and the Rock Island Community Foundation. Another $2,000 grant was received from the Rauch Family Foundation. The total from these great charitable organizations was added to over $6,000 the RIMEF received from its targeted Birdies for Charity appeal and $28,000 from the RIMEF’s annual distribution.
The new 2020-2021 PRIME Grant Application is available! The new deadline for receipt of your application is August 28, 2020. All RIMSD41 teachers may apply for one of our 3 awards - up to $1,500 for Teacher Grants, up to $3,000 for Departmental/School Grants, and up to $5,000 for Multi-School Grants. Awards will be announced October 2, 2020 for use during the 2020-2021 school year. See the link on our PRIME Grants page of this website under the 'Grants' tab.
The RIMEF Austin Academic Achievement Awards and Scholarships were announced via a video presentation on May 14. You can view the presentation and see all of our the winners on YouTube or just below...
The Austin Academic Achievement Awards and Scholarship Night scheduled for May 14 has been cancelled but the Education Foundation is committed to recognizing and rewarding our deserving RIHS students. ALL Top Ten students, Departmental AAAA winners, and Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation Scholarships will be named through our Austin Academic Achievement Awards and Scholarship Video. This video will be posted to YouTube and our Facebook page on May 14 at 6:30pm (same date/time as the awards night was scheduled.) Top Ten Certificates and scholarship award letters will be mailed to the recipients' homes. We will also provide a link to the video on this website. The Education Foundation is excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our great RIHS students!
The Education Foundation's PRIME Grant Program for the 2020-2021 school year is suspended until further notice. The RIMEF will still award our PRIME Grants for next year but is postponing those awards until later in the fall term or beginning of January. Please delay submission of any applications to the Department of Teaching & Learning for cover sheet signatures until we post our new deadline. We will provide more information once the district has established the plan for the 2020-2021 year. We can't wait to read all the new and innovative ways our RIMSD teachers will enhance their classrooms through PRIME Grants!
The RIMEF has cancelled the Austin Academic Achievement Awards & Scholarship Night scheduled for May 14. The State of Illinois suspended all in-classroom learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and the Rock Island-Milan School District has suspended classes and all events/activities. The AAAA & Scholarship Night may be cancelled for this year but all our deserving Top Ten students will be recognized and our deserving seniors of the Class of 2020 will still be presented with scholarship awards! Please check this website or the RIMEF Facebook page in early May for more information!
The 2020 PRIME Grant Application is now available! All RIMSD teachers and schools may apply for up to $1,500 for Teacher Grants, up to $3,000 for Departmental/School Grants, and up to $5,000 for Multi-School Grants. Application deadline is June 9, 2020. Please see our PRIME Grants page for details and requirements.
Seniors: The 2020 RIMEF Scholarship Application is now available! Apply now for one of the 50 scholarship opportunities available through the Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation. Last year, the Education Foundation awarded a total of $88,200 in scholarships to Rocky seniors! The application is available in online form only through our website (see the scholarship tab) or on the RIHS website. Application and related materials are due by March 4, 2020 - 3:30 p.m. Please contact the Education Foundation at rimef@rimsd41.org or 309.581.2154 with questions or for more information.
- An additional $8,420 in PRIME Grants was awarded in September for the 2019-2020 school year. A total of $123,744 in PRIME Grants has now been given for 55 projects benefiting students throughout the RIMSD. These PRIME Grants and the projects they support are only made possible through generous donations from individuals, businesses, and community organizations such as the Junior Board of Rock Island, the Doris and Victor Day Foundation, and the Rauch Family Foundation. Thank you all! We can't wait to hear the results of those projects and see photos of our students in action!
- Updating the RIHS Directory! The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation is currently collecting date (through a company called PCI) from Rock Island High School alumni for the sole purpose of updating our Alumni Directory. The last directory was published in 2010 and many of you and your classmates have changed contact information in the last 10 years! When PCI contacts you, please update the information you are comfortable in sharing so that we may strengthen connections with nearly 35,000 RIHS alumni for reunions, events, and with the latest Rocky news. Please be aware that you are under NO OBLIGATION to purchase ANYTHING. Anything you do decide to purchase will not benefit the Education Foundation or RIHS. If you have any questions, please contact the Education Foundation at: rimef@rimsd41.org
- $115,324 in PRIME (Promoting Rock Island Milan Education) Grants was awarded for the 2019-2020 academic year! The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation presented the grants at the opening day, all-staff meeting held on July 31 in Rock Island High School Auditorium. 52 PRIME Grants were awarded - 28 Teacher, 20 Departmental/School and 4 Multi-School grants funding a wide variety of programs throughout the district. See a listing of all the grants funded in our upcoming Fall 2019 Newsletter or on this website under the 'Grants' tab - 'PRIME Grants. ' Approximately 3/4 of a million dollars in PRIME Grants (originally called Teacher Grants)have been issued to the teachers and schools of the district since the program started. Over $471,000 of that total was awarded in just the past 5 years. Congratulations to all the recipients and thanks for using our PRIME Grants to provide new and innovative programs and materials to your classrooms!
$83,200 in scholarships was awarded to the Rock Island High School Class of 2019 at the 39th Austin Academic Achievement Awards and Scholarship Night held on May 16!
- At the ceremony:43 seniors received one of the 33 named scholarships awarded that evening
- 16 seniors received an Austin Academic Achievement Award Departmental scholarship
- 2 received an Academic Excellence scholarship
The ceremony also recognized the 'Top Ten' of each class.
In all, 114 students were honored and/or awarded! Thank you to all the generous contributors, scholarship benefactors, and committee volunteers who made this extraordinary evening possible for our deserving Rock Island High School students!
Your support made easy! Click on 'Donate Now' and make a difference for our Rock Island-Milan students today!