Our Impact
Making a difference in the lives of District 116 students
How We Make an Impact
- Classroom Grants empower innovative hands-on class projects of all ages.
- Santa's Workshop brings food, clothing, and joy to our neediest children.
- Kindergarten Readiness helps our Birth-5 children prepare for success in District 116.
A Voice for Self-Advocacy — Suraj Katial Visits Life Skills Classrooms
In May 2026, thanks to a grant from the Round Lake Area Schools CUSD #116 Education Foundation, Suraj Katial visited students to share his powerful presentation, “My Journey with Disability and Advocacy.” Suraj spoke about his education, training, day-to-day life, and the advocacy work that shapes who he is today.
Drawing on the barriers he has navigated as a person with a disability, Suraj emphasized three principles he lives by — Communicate, Educate, and Advocate — reminding students how important it is to speak up, learn, and ensure their needs are understood and met.
Experiences like this are made possible by the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our teachers. Thank you, Suraj, for inspiring our students — and thank you to everyone who supports the Foundation in bringing meaningful learning moments like this to RLAS-116!
2025-2026 Grants — $5,375 Awarded
- Cardboard Creations: Building Architecture & Sculpture in the TAB Art Studio — $815 (Village Elementary School)
- Glowing Oaxacan Inspired Spirit Animal Sculptures — $372 (Murphy Elementary School)
- “iReady” for Family Game Time — $1,038 (Ellis Elementary School)
- Artineering Lab — $1,400 (Ellis Elementary School)
- Entrepreneurship Preservation & Maintenance — $60 (Magee & Round Lake Middle Schools)
- iPad Portable Projector Stand — $1,692 (Elementary Schools)
2024-2025 Grants — $15,780 Awarded
- School Rocks — $300 (Ellis Elementary)
- Building Thinking Classrooms — $1,880 (Round Lake Middle)
- RLHS Guitar Club — $1,500 (Round Lake High)
- From Demonstration to Exploration — $2,000 (Magee Middle)
- Rock Band Part 2 — $2,000 (Round Lake Middle)
- Empowering Entrepreneurs — $4,400 (Magee Middle)
- Summer Mystery Book Giveaway — $2,000 (Round Lake High)
- iReady Personal Pathways — $500 (Ellis Elementary)
- 3-D Pen Expansion — $1,200 (Ellis Elementary)
Teacher Testimonials
“The students at Village Elementary are enjoying our new graphic novels due to the generosity of the Foundation! Thank you again!”
— Megan Rasmussen, District Librarian (Graphic Novels for Village School)
“Amairani said she enjoys the library because it allows her to go to another place. ‘I am able to read books such as Goosebumps and imagine myself in the book with the characters which is fun to do.’ Another one of our students, Bethany, likes having a library at transition. ‘I love reading, it is a fun activity to do and something I am happy to do at transition. I really like having a library and being able to pick a book to read!’”
— Matt Rosenberg, Teacher Assistant, RLTC (RLTC Lending Library)
2017 Flood Response
In July 2017, the Round Lake Area experienced catastrophic flooding. Sadly, two school libraries were destroyed. Images of the flooding prompted support from local, state and regional organizations. Over 100,000 books were donated to RLAS-116 in hopes to replace the ruined books. In addition, many organizations donated monetarily — their donations helping to renovate these library/tech spaces into innovative spaces for children. The RLAS-116 Education Foundation served as a flow-through organization for these donations. We are pleased to announce that Ellis Elementary School in Round Lake Beach and Murphy Elementary School in Round Lake Park are home to brand new Limitless Learning Commons!
Impact in Action
