Our fundraising goal is $100,000 and is based on actual requests of D51 middle and high school principals for cell phone storage in their schools.

Our Community Foundation is launching an education and fundraising campaign to support School District 51’s new policy to ban or limit cell phone use in classrooms across our School District. This policy is a response to increasing concerns over reduction in academic performance and declining mental health related to social media and cell phone use on youth well-being. Studies show that the more kids use social media, the more likely they are to experience anxiety and depression. Cell phones in schools also disrupt student learning, attention, and socialization.

Our Community Foundation is working closely with Superintendent Brian Hill and his administration team to support their efforts by purchasing phone locking or storage devices for classrooms. These lockers and devices will assist classroom teachers in enforcing the new policy; cell phones will be away during classroom time so teachers and students can focus on learning. Teachers can teach and not be policing the use of phones, which will be stored away from student use during classroom learning time.