Joliet Chamber Education Committee and JTHS Board Member Receive INSPRA Awards of Excellence for Service

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and Joliet Township High School Board of Education Member R. Dale Evans received Distinguished Service Awards of Excellence from the Illinois National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA) during a special ceremony held at Park Ridge Country Club on Friday, May 2.

The statewide INSPRA Distinguished Service Award program honors individuals or groups who have consistently gone above and beyond on behalf of their schools, and whose efforts have enhanced education and conveyed its importance to the community at large.    

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce Education Committee was honored for their service and commitment to Joliet-area youth and schools.  The committee was established in 2007 as a group of local business and school representatives that hold a shared commitment to education through partnerships, communication and events that benefit students and teachers from public, private, and parochial schools in the Joliet area.  Since its inception, the committee has educated and unified the business community on the importance of education and its role in the economic and social life of the community.

The committee consists of over 30 members comprised of Joliet area elementary and high school superintendents, representatives from local colleges/universities, business leaders, and Joliet Area Chamber of Commerce executives.  Members meet on a regular basis and work collaboratively to provide programs, services and support to two Joliet area high school districts and four elementary school districts, which include Joliet Township High School District 204, Catholic Diocese of Joliet Schools, Joliet Public Schools District 86, Elwood CCSD 203, Rockdale Elementary School District 84, and Troy CCSD 30-C.

The range of programs the committee provides is extensive and includes events, opportunities and a student scholarship program.  The committee plans and sponsors the New Teacher Breakfast, Great Teacher Award Ceremony and Top Student Award Banquet.  In addition, the committee developed Joliet Partners in Education (JPIE) to provide learning opportunities through a wide range of activities, such as reading to elementary school students and providing job shadowing.

Joliet Township High School Board of Education Member R. Dale Evans was honored for his involvement in the Martin Luther King Day of Service event.  R. Dale Evans was elected to the Joliet Township High School (JTHS) Board of Education in May of 2013.  As a member of the Board of Education and Joliet community, Mr. Evans realizes the importance of establishing community partnerships to foster pride and effective communication among JTHS stakeholders.

Mr. Evans is a 1976 graduate of Joliet Central High School who strongly believes in making a profound impact within the community through providing JTHS students with the opportunity to experience community service opportunities.   

It was Mr. Evans’ desire to lead by example that resulted in the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service “A Day On, Not a Day Off” event.  This community-wide event resulted in the participation of 489 volunteers who volunteered 4-hours of their time at 15 community locations.  This resulted in 1,956 hours of service to the community.

Over half of the volunteers at the event were students, and the MLK Day of Service event allowed JTHS to spotlight the student volunteers and their desire to make our community a better place to live.  Elected officials and dignitaries attending the event saw first-hand the district’s commitment to the value of instilling community service in our youth, which strengthens the overall support for education.