Uni High Funds

Thank you for considering a gift to Uni High.

Our giving priorities fall into five categories, and the individual funds are listed below under each category.

• Emerging needs
• Equity
• Facilities
• Faculty Salary support
• Students, Faculty, Classrooms and Learning 

Emerging Needs

Annual Fund

The Annual fund provides financial support for a wide range of programs that helps to carry out Uni High’s mission. A gift to the annual fund ensures uni’s areas of greatest need are addressed– and the greatest potential for impact. Uni High’s tradition of innovative learning, access to top-tier technology, and individual attention for all students can continue well into the future.

In addition to our current greatest need, your gift goes to support Athletic coaching stipends, Deferred maintenance on our school building and Stipends for teachers who lead co-curricular activities such as scholastic bowls and chess teams.

Parent Fund

The Parent Fund is a vital component of Uni’s budget which supports our wonderful student body, teachers, and all support staff. It accounts for 10% of the annual operating budget for the school and is the largest revenue stream secondary to general state aid. The support generated from this fund includes athletic coaching stipends, deferred maintenance on the school building, and supports teachers who lead co-curricular activities such as the scholastic bowl, chess team, and so much more.

To help offset the funding gap resulting from Uni High’s lack of property tax revenue, our goal is to raise between $600,000 and $800,000 annually, with 100% parent participation. 100% of the Uni community is affected by your generosity through the Parent Fund.

Class of 1986 – $35k by the 35^th Reunion Fund

This current use fund was established by Uni class of ’86 and intended to support current use needs.-discretion of the director

Sally Walker Honorary Fund for University Laboratory High School

To provide unrestricted support for the Uni High Athletic Department in honor of longtime athletic director, Sally Walker.

Max Beberman Memorial Award Fund for Uni High

The Beberman family has requested that donors who wish to make a gift in memory of Elizabeth Beberman, Max Beberman’s spouse, consider making their gift to the Beberman Memorial Award Fund.

University High School Endowment Fund

This fund supports special projects designed to enrich the teaching programs and enhance the quality of instruction at Uni High. These funds support special projects as opposed to the normal academic programs of the school that the parent fund, annual fund, and the University/State support do.

Class of 1984 Leo Millar Memorial Fund

The Class of 1984 Leo Millar Memorial Fund supports the administration, faculty, and students. With 30% of the amount available for spending being used for “fun” student events that recall and honor Leo Millar’s whimsical spirit, and 70% of the amount available for spending being used to support Uni’s top priorities and needs as determined by administration and teachers on an alternating basis. When practical, Uni will recognize the name of the Fund in relation to its use by some form of recognition.

Alonzo L. and Stella Jean Hunter Endowment Fund

Income from this fund is divided equally and used to provide funding to the Department of Fine and Applied Arts and to the Athletic Department at Uni High.

E Benno Philippson Uni High Madrigal and Choral Music Current Use Fund

The net income from the Fund shall be used to support the Madrigal program and/or the choral music program at Uni High.

Equity

Uni High Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund

This fund supports projects that advance Uni High’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Developing and executing strategic initiatives to connect with our whole community in CU and beyond to ensure that students from all backgrounds have equitable access to Uni’s resources and programs is a crucial aspect of Uni’s public engagement mission. Examples of current efforts tied to this initiative include providing broad-based student support using a bridge program for incoming Uni sub-freshmen, connecting with younger students in the CU public schools via Uni’s implementation of the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy program, and planning professional development for Uni faculty on culturally responsive pedagogy.

Yong Park Scholarship Fund

The Fund supports current and admitted Uni students who demonstrate financial need. This fund helps provide scholarships in the form of fee waivers to cover expenses associated with Uni attendance, including but not limited to yearly suggested donation fees, lab fees, and athletics.

Uni High Class of 1962 Memorial Endowment Fund

This endowment fund established by the class of ’62 supports student diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives within Uni High.

Ang Family Tutoring Fund

The Fund shall support the priorities and needs of the tutoring program, which provides tutors for students’ academic success within Uni High.

Facilities

Uni High School Building Fund

Provides support for upgrading infrastructure including windows and electrical throughout the existing school building to ensure that we are continuing to provide a comfortable, safe, and effective learning environment so that we can continue to foster growth and learning in our students. 

Merle H. and Virgina Downs Boren Uni High Student Support Fund

Students receiving support shall be known as “Boren Scholars.” The Principal of University Laboratory High School, or designee, shall determine the students designated at Boren Scholars.

Susanne L. Philippson Class of 1959 Endowed Funds for Uni High Fine Arts

This fund benefits Fine Arts students at Uni High with the purpose of broadening their concept of Fine Arts through visits to museums, galleries, artists studios, art history lectures, as well as other creative activities, such as renting “art related” films and/or inviting a professional artist to visit/interact with the students. The fund shall also be used to stimulate interest in the application of Fine Arts in the work place.

Faculty Salary Support

John E. Finch, M.D. University Laboratory High School Faculty Salaries

This fund supports salary enhancements provided to Uni High faculty/staff members.  Your gift will help continue to build this endowed fund which is currently shared between every Uni High teacher in the Fall as a stipend.

John Hedeman Endowment for University Laboratory High School Faculty Salaries

Income from this Endowment fund is combined with other funds with the same intent and used as a salary enhancement for Uni High faculty/staff members in the Fall. 

Jockush-Laughlin-Stone Salary Enhancement Award Fund   

This fund supports teacher awards at Uni High to recognize faculty members for excellence in teaching, recognizing mathematics, English and science, honoring Elizabeth Jockusch, Rosemary Laughlin, and David Stone.

Rick Murphy Faculty Salary Enhancement fund

The fund established by Cindy Wang (’95) and Lesley Lundeen (’93) supports faculty salary enhancements, honoring long time music teacher Rick Murphy and the Music and Arts departments.

Ruperto and Laurie Mendiones Salary Enhancement Fund

This fund supports faculty salary enhancements at Uni High.

“It’s not the bricks and mortar that form an education,” said my mother Mary Louise Dilworth Mendiones, a former Uni English Teacher (1938). Her perception of the sub-freshman program initiated my enrollment at Uni. Subsequently, superior teaching by Daniel Lindley (English), Ella Leppert, (History), Roger Brown, (Science and Biology), and Pauline Chaignon, (French) formed me.

These able instructors founded my professional progression [BS Biology, UIUC, and MD, UI Chicago.] Yet these dedicated teachers all taught for less compensation than local public schools. My wife, Laurie, and I established this fund to recognize, reward, and perpetuate the same devoted teaching.” -Ruperto Mendiones Uni High class of ’62.

Uni High Century Scholar Fund

This fund is used to provide stipends to enhance the salary of teachers and counselors at Uni High. This stipend promotes equity among our teachers and allows Uni to continue to retain and support our excellent and innovative teaching staff.

Students, Faculty and Learning

Matthew Wilhelm Memorial Fund

Used for student awards and prizes at Uni High, in memory of Matthew Wilhelm.

Barbara Lazarus ’63 Memorial Fund

Used to encourage, facilitate and support the study of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by girls at the secondary school level. Funds to support this population can be in the form of scholarships, stipends, programs, research projects or grants.

Uni High Meyers-Talbot Memorial Fund

This fund was established by the Uni Class of ’89, and honors classmates, John Meyers and Paul Talbot, who have passed. It supports student groups and activities that supplement academic work, e.g. student government, music, theater, athletics at University High School on the Campus of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign; and for maintenance of the benches on school grounds that commemorate John Meyers, Esq. and Dr. Paul Talbot.

Innovations in Learning

Supports improvements of learning spaces at Uni including configuration of existing or new classroom space, furnishings, storage, technology upgrades, replacing windows, HVAC upgrades, wiring and lighting upgrades, lab equipment, software, and school supplies. These funds may also be used to execute research and observation as well as support professional development for teachers in the subject of improving curriculum and classroom learning spaces.

David P. Frankel Learning Innovation Fund

Supports the development of new programs and curriculum, new technologies, and emerging fields of study that are not sufficiently addressed in the existing curriculum at Uni High. This can include providing grants to students and faculty for the following: new technologies, emerging fields, “leading edge” fields of study, important life skills, computing and/or big-data resources, financial, real estate, app development, 3D printing. The Fund may also be used, but not limited to: equipment, supplies, services, outside visits to companies or conferences. Efforts sponsored by the Fund are not required to provide guarantees of success; experiments are encouraged, and failure is okay.

Iris Chang and Peter Kolodziej Award Fund

Supports creative writing student awards at Uni High School.

Carol Bond World and Classical Languages Priority Fund–Description coming soon

Uni High Class of 1973 Endowment 

Uni High Class of ‘73 established this fund to help enhance and promote the excellence of teaching and instruction at Uni, which may include but is not limited to stipends to attract and retain the very best educators possible. Scholarships may be used to support class fees, laptop program fees, sports fees, various student programming that may require a registration fee, AP Exam participation, online software programs, or book fees for concurrent enrollment college courses at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or Parkland, and academic support when outside tutoring is needed to supplement instruction at Uni. Teaching and instruction support may be used to support salary, stipends, or other compensation for teachers and counselors.

Marilyn Upah Bant Fund to Support Young Writers

Supports young writers in the University Laboratory High School.

Wylde Q. Chicken Award for Coloring Outside the Lines

Established by the Uni class of ’72, supports one of the student’s favorite annual awards, given in recognition of spontaneous creativity. Uni High will administer the award in accordance with the standards set forth in the Wylde Q. Chicken Award Nomination and Selection Process document. This award recognizes one or more Uni High students who exhibit spontaneous creativity; in other words, unbidden originality; thinking outside the box; “coloring outside the lines of the coloring book;” nontraditional, unconventional, unexpected, and extraordinary acts in ordinary circumstances.

David Stone Professional Development Fund

Established in Dave Stone’s honor, when it reaches the U of I Foundation threshold of $25,000 for faculty to seek enriching experiences that will inform their teaching and expand their horizons in their unique disciplines, or another discipline of interest. This fund allows Uni High teachers to have continuous access to training and supports well-rounded/diverse learning environments and professionals. 

Megan Flynn Award for Critical Thinking and Analytical Insight Fund

Supports a student award given annually to a senior in recognition of excellence in critical thinking and analytical insight in honor and in memory of Megan Flynn, Uni High alumnus, class of 1995.