COVID-19 Resources
Preschool learning games
Nine Tips for Motivating Children to Learn at Home
As families and teachers are struggling to help children learn at home, many children are grappling with motivation, finding it difficult to stay interested in schoolwork without the structure of the
classroom.The American Psychological Association provides these tips to help parents and caregivers foster their children’s motivation to stay engaged in schoolwork.
North Shore Gas Assistance Options
If you cannot pay your energy bill due to financial difficulties, North Shore Gas has flexible payment arrangement plans or energy assistance options that may help.
They also include information about these programs:
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
- Share the Warmth, company- and customer-funded heating grants
Northeast Community Fund in Decatur
Northeast Community Fund helps families in the Decatur and Macon County community with food, clothing, household goods and funding for utility payments, obtaining IDs, baby formula and wipes, emergency lodging and prescription medicines. The organization’s food pantry provides monthly food baskets to those in need. It also operates a microfinance program and a program for families to work with a staff member and mentor to achieve short- and long-term goals to move towards self-sufficiency.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank partners with 900 feeding programs across 13 counties to serve our neighbors needing food. Please use the locator map below to find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you. Use the contact information provided to confirm hours of distribution and residency requirements.
Northwest Special Recreation Association’s Online Activity Center
The Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) launched the NWSRA Activity Center to ensure that families have access to free activities, games and other online resources that will enable participants to lead healthy, active lives. The center includes activities, resources, videos and games as well as a program guide for weekly Zoom programs.
Oak Lawn Community High School Summer Food Service Program
Free meals will be available for curbside pick-up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Each daily meal packet will include breakfast, lunch, snack and beverage items. The meals will be distributed at Oak Lawn Community High School from the Performing Arts Center/Door #14.
Online Learning Guidelines for Students Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Illinois Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side developed a list of tips to post near your child’s e-learning work station.
The Learning Technology Center of Illinois created or curated these resources that address technology-enabled remote learning and e-learning.
Online Learning Supports for Students with ID/ASD During COVID-19
The Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) provides an online learning activity portal for students with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder.