JDCF is pleased to announce that it has received a 2025 Community Impact Grant from The Foundation for Northwest Illinois. This grant will support JDCF staff in starting the Chicago Field Museum’s Mighty Acorns outdoor education program in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms in the River Ridge School District. “Mighty Acorns is especially needed in our community after the recent closing of Northern Illinois University’s Lorado Taft Field Campus. A number of schools across Jo Daviess County who have sent elementary students to Lorado Taft for nature-based field trips are left with a gap in their programming, including River Ridge,” said Hillary Holt, JDCF Director of Education and Outreach.

Mighty Acorns begins in 3rd grade with students taking field trips to explore one of JDCF’s seven nature preserves in Jo Daviess County. In 4th grade, they head outside to study local ecosystems and how they function. By the time kids reach 5th grade, they have learned how to better care for the natural world over the course of nine field trips to a JDCF property. Each field trip has a learning game, a stewardship activity, and time for exploration. The goal is to connect kids with nature and to encourage curiosity and wonder; to instill in our youth a sense of place and love of the outdoors; and to foster the next generations of stewards of the land, water and sky for all people and wildlife. It is JDCF’s vision to have the Mighty Acorns outdoor education program available to all 3-5th graders in Jo Daviess County in the future.

Mighty Acorns has been part of the science curriculum in over sixty schools across Illinois for the past twenty years. The program is aligned with the Illinois Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards and has provided outdoor experiences to over 130,000 students throughout its history.

The Foundation for Northwest Illinois, founded in 1975, is a regional philanthropic organization guided by community leaders who are dedicated to inspiring donors and empowering community partners for a stronger Northwest Illinois. The 2025 Community Impact Grants were distributed as part of The Foundation’s commitment to support initiatives that ultimately strengthen communities through the promotion of quality of life and help to further community development and economic growth. To learn more about The Foundation and opportunities to support important causes, visit www.forNWIL.org.