The Alpha Tau Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International held its March meeting at the Community Room of the Carlinville Public Safety Center in Carlinville. The chapter hosted two of their Macoupin County Early-Career Grant winners. This grant was established in 2017 to promote and encourage early-career women educators in their first five years of teaching.

Since 2018, Alpha Tau has partnered with four Macoupin County School Districts – North Mac, Carlinville, Gillespie, and Staunton. Recipients of the grants are selected by the administration of each of those districts to receive a $100 grant to purchase educational materials to enhance student learning.

Two of the recipients were present and received their checks. Each gave a brief description of how they will use the money to supplement the students’ experiences in their classrooms.

Alex Newton, a third grade teacher at Ben-Gil Elementary in Gillespie, will use her grant money to purchase manipulatives for the class’ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) kits. Hannah Blevins, seventh and eighth grade Science teacher at Staunton Middle School, will be replacing tubing for 4D rollercoasters which model the transformation of energy, another STEM activity.

After the business meeting, Alpha Tau member, Nancy Bitner, presented an interesting and informative program on the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership and their trip to Washington, D.C. This organization gives women tools to be a voice for change in their communities, counties, state, and nation. The women were able to present their concerns to various legislative leaders.