The Conservation Foundation Receives $5K Grant

BOLINGBROOK, IL — The Conservation Foundation in Naperville has received a grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit established by American Water, according to a news release.

American Water partnered with Illinois American Water to provide five State Strategic Impact grants focused on STEAM initiatives, a release states. The Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit which serves the Chicago area, including Bolingbrook, received one of the $5,000 grants.

"We are delighted to partner with the American Water Charitable Foundation in selecting organizations which draw on art to help raise awareness about watershed protection, conservation and more," Rebecca Losli, Illinois American Water president, said in a release. "While art and water service are essential ingredients for a thriving community, both are often taken for granted. We are excited to see what our young customers, our future environmentalists, create."

The Conservation Foundation will distribute rain barrels to partners, so they can be painted and displayed in Bolingbrook, according to a news release. Additional rain barrels will also be made available for Bolingbrook residents at a reduced rate.

The state strategic impact grant program is part of the 2022 American Water Charitable Foundation's Keep Communities Flowing grant program, focusing on three pillars of giving: water, people and communities, according to a news release.

Other projects which received grants include: ART, Inc., in Peoria, which will repurpose 10 retired fire hydrants to create art; the Alton Boys and Girls Club, which will host an art camp including activities centered around repurposing materials into art; the Don Moyers Boys and Girls Club of Champaign, which will work with students to create canvas artwork to highlight water and the environment; and the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois will offer “It’s Your Planet- Love It!” programming with a focus on water conservation, water management, water quality testing, watersheds and hydroelectric power.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation is pleased to partner with Illinois American Water and local organizations focused on incorporating art into science, technology, engineering and math learning,” Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation, said in a news release. “Each thoughtful and creative project will help bring awareness to the water cycle, fire protection, conservation and more through art.”