 |
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
|
Decatur, IL Community Magazine
Welcome to the Decatur, IL Community Magazine. Here you will find a little of everything relating to Living, Working, Playing, Shopping and Learning in the Community.
|
|
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced it will participate in a three-year, $75-million public-private partnership with five other states to develop long-term reform strategies for their lowest-performing schools. Illinois was selected to join the initiative, along with Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts and New York by Mass Insight Education and Research Institute, a Boston-based non-profit education organization focused on closing achievement gaps.
"We’re excited to work with these states and Mass Insight to identify and implement new strategies to turn around struggling schools," said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. "This initiative, funded by an unprecedented amount of federal dollars and private donations, calls for dramatic broad-scale interventions."
Announced February 2nd, 2010, the Partnership Zone Initiative will be funded by a variety of private and public sources, including increased federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Additional money for these six states could also be awarded through the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program.
Do you have anyone in your life between the ages of three and twelve? If you do, visit the Children's Museum of Illinois for a day of learning and fun! The Museum has many exhibits and activities to enhance a child's educational experience, particulary in the arts and sciences. The Children's Museum has ever-changing exhibits designed to challenge a young person's mind using hands-on learning. You can pretend to fly in a plane, imagine yourself as a paramedic rushing a patient to the hospital, or climb a sculpture called Luckey's climber. There is something for everyone in the Museum's two floors of limitless imagination. However, the fun doesn't stop there. Not only will the Children's Museum be offering all their regular exhibits, but for the holiday season it is also offering special events. On December 5, 2009, you can have Breakfast with Santa and take part in the Gingerbread House Workshop. Join Mr. and Mrs. Santa for a yummy breakfast, make a decorative holiday craft, and then enjoy the museum. Later, decorate your very own Gingerbread House to take home. If you want a special day out with your little buddy, then the Children's Museum is a winning choice!
The Decatur Area Arts Council strives to enhance the quality of life in the community of Decatur, IL. Because of their hard work, Decatur is home to a variety of venues for local and visiting artists. Some of the goals of the Decatur Area Arts Council are to encourage arts education opportunities for all ages, promote a broad range of arts activities throughout the area through the support of artists and arts organizations in all disciplines, advocate the introduction of the arts to diverse segments of the community, and to promote the preservation of our local cultural heritage. In the month of November, there are several venues in which to view the artistic creations of local and visiting artists. Some of these venues are the Gallery 510 Arts Guild, LTD, Blue Connection, and the Madden Arts Center.
Did you know that Decatur is home to several historic sights? One of these sights is the Trobaugh-Good House located at Homestead Prairie Farm. The Farm has been restored to allow visitors to explore rural life on the Grand Prairie of Illinois in 1860. In fact, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The Homestead Prairie Farm is built around the Trobaugh-Good House located at Rock Springs Conservation Area in Decatur, IL. Originally constructed by an unknown builder around 1850 as a one room log house, its name, Trobaugh-Good House, comes from the first two families who lived there. Today the house is furnished to reflect the lifestyle of the Trobaughs, their boarders, hired hands, and neighbors in 1860, whose lives were being affected by the important changes sweeping the nation in the last years before the Civil War.
Insulation made from rocks? It may sound strange at first, until you consider the benefits. New to the United States, this type of home insulation can help you save money and keep your family safer and more comfortable by resisting fire longer, blocking sound better, and repelling water and mold. It also is good for the environment. Most people think electrical appliances and hot water tanks are a family's biggest energy wasters. In reality, heating and cooling accounts for two thirds of a home's energy consumption. This adds up to 44 percent of all the carbon dioxide emissions in America, more than the transportation and manufacturing industries combined, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Upgrading insulation can be a great way to save some green in your wallet by reducing your energy bills.
Discover Places is dedicated to providing you with the latest information on news and events within your community. Staying up-to-date with the latest in social networking and internet trends is no exception. Through Twitter, you can stay updated on everything from new articles and calendar events to special sales and coupons for places within your community Be a part of one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the internet by following us on Twitter. Keep reading for more information and a link to our Twitter page...
|
|
|
|
|
|