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Being green, a famous frog tells us, is not easy. Eight years ago, ŷ����Ϸ���� Illinois University students lobbied to get funding for sustainability efforts. More recently, the faculty worked hard to win support for a new Environmental Sciences degree that will start this fall. And the Facilities Management staff has been tireless in its endeavor to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency. Whether it’s in small or large ways, elevating the green consciousness at ŷ����Ϸ���� can be a challenge but continues to be a priority.

ŷ����Ϸ���� Illinois University, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) District 299, has been awarded a $40 million grant over seven years by the U.S. Department of Education to help at-risk students prepare for success in postsecondary education.

This past fall, I began a new life as a Ph.D. student in history at the University of Chicago. To become a fully funded historian-in-training at one of the world's top programs was hardly something I would have predicted for myself just a few years ago. I owe this unique opportunity to the rigorous and nurturing experience that I had as an MA candidate at ŷ����Ϸ����
     In 2004, I was finishing my post-baccalaureate teaching certification at NEIU, and enrolled in history courses as part of my preparation for teaching high school social studies. This final round of coursework would prove to be transformative. Professors Susan Rosa and Andrew Shankman exposed me to a world of intellectual passion and critical inquiry that would change the way I thought about history, define the way I would teach it in my career as an educator, and plant a seed of curiosity that would not be satisfied until I was on the path to becoming a historian myself. Professor Shankman suggested that I apply for the MA program in history at ŷ����Ϸ���� and I accepted his challenge.

All it took was listening to a presentation her senior year of college to spark inspiration. Jean Boulware, now a psychology alumna from ŷ����Ϸ���� Illinois University, attended a presentation by artist Indira Johnson about the “Ten Thousand Ripples” project.