April 17, 2025
Shaw Local
NewsSubscribePrep SportsObituariesFriday Night DriveeNewspaperLocal EventsShaw Local RadioStarved Rock Country

Illinois Retired Teachers Association awards $700 in grants to Putnam County’s Angie Serafini

Funds will be used to create a play-based learning environment

By Shaw Local News Network
Picture (L-R) - Adriane Shore, Principal Mariah Mott, Angie Serafini and Jackie Sapienza.

The Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation awarded $36,500 in grant money to several public school educators statewide. (Pictured left to right) are Adriane Shore, Principal Mariah Mott, Angie Serafini and Jackie Sapienza. (Photo provided by PCPS)

The Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation awarded $36,500 in grant money to several public school educators statewide. IRTAF is affiliated with the Illinois Retired Teachers Association, a lobbying group for retired educators, with a current membership of over 40,000.

Putnam County Primary School’s Angie Serafini was awarded her IRTAF grant check of $700.

The funds were granted at the request to use them to help create a play-based learning environment for kindergarten students.

“Research shows than when students are engaged in their learning through hands-on activities, they have a higher success rate or retaining the concepts being taught,” Serafini said. “My goal is provide my students the best opportunities for learning through a play-based approach.”

The IRTA Foundation designed this program based on the idea that educators often do not have additional revenue sources available for unique student projects or classroom materials. This program allotted a total of $36,500 to Illinois public school educators for these purposes.

Applicants were required to meet the proper criteria and to submit their proposals by early June.