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CME Group Foundation Awards $1.88Mn To Support Early Math Education

CME Group Foundation will award $1.88mn in new grants to support early math education programs for young children from low-income communities in Illinois. These grants will be used for programs throughout the next two school years.

Grantees were selected as part of CME Group Foundation's Early Math Initiative, designed to provide educators with the knowledge, confidence and tools to teach and inspire children from infancy through elementary school about the world of mathematics. These grants bring Early Math Education Initiative funding to a total investment of $10.8 million since the program's inception in 2009.

"It is crucial to our economy that all children have access to quality math education," said Kassie Davis, Executive Director of CME Group Foundation. "We are proud to fund educational initiatives that elevate underserved communities because supporting educators that impact our youth at vital stages of development and ensuring access to learning tools for children who need it most, is an important investment in the future."

CME Group Foundation launched its Early Math Education Initiative to aide underserved Illinois communities and as part of its efforts to advance the economy by supporting education from cradle to career. The initiative bolsters professional development for teachers of young children, improves family engagement in the learning of young children and aims to influence early childhood mathematics policies. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, nearly half of Illinois children ages 3-17 live in low-income households and just 31 percent of eighth graders enrolled in an Algebra 1 course last year received a passing grade.

"CME Group Foundation's vision and willingness to do the extra work of bringing partners together has really moved the needle here in Illinois and we are so grateful," said Jennifer McCray of Erikson Institute's Early Math Collaborative. "Because of the contributions of the foundation and other like-minded funders, we have not only affected the lives and learning of thousands of children, but there is now more interest and infrastructure to help sustain the work."

A complete list of beneficiaries is as follows:  

  • Academy of Urban School Leadership
  • Big Shoulders Fund
  • Chicago Children's Museum
  • Children First Fund of Chicago Public Schools Foundation
  • Decatur Public Schools Foundation
  • DePaul University
  • Erikson Institute
  • Governors State University
  • Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago
  • McKendree University
  • Teach for America Chicago
  • University of Chicago STEM Ed
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • University of Illinois Chicago

For more information about CME Group Foundation, please visit the website: www.cmegroupfoundation.org.

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