Barrington 220 Educational Foundation
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Trustee Cami Tchoi

Meet Trustee Cami Tchoi

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As a parent to young children in the district, Cami was drawn to the Foundation’s Elementary STEM project. 

“The project that is nearest and dearest to my heart is the Elementary STEM project,” Cami said. “Technology is an integral part of all our lives so I love that our elementary program introduces engineering principles and coding basics as early as kindergarten.”

Since 2018, the Foundation has funded the district’s elementary STEM project, which includes the following grade-level sequence:

- Kindergarten
Introduction to Programming and Robots
- First Grade
Introduction to Engineering
- Second Grade
Programming and Robotics
- Third Grade
Engineering Design Process with Robots
- Fourth Grade
Engineering Design Process with Robots
Application with Space Mission Challenges
- Fifth Grade
FreshINC Entrepreneur Experience

“Not only do our students learn about technology, but they learn how to work and cooperate in teams and practice skills that will serve them well beyond their elementary years,” Cami added. “This program is just one example of how the Foundation champions innovative programs that make Barrington 220 unique.”

The elementary project came from the Foundation’s grant programs, where teachers and staff apply for two different types of grants to help enrich students’ experiences in the classroom. The STEM project was first a grant request from a teacher, was successful and then used as a pilot to move into all the elementary schools. Now Cami gets to review such ideas coming in from the district’s teachers and staff. 

“A few years ago, I had the opportunity to join the Grants Review Committee,” Cami said. “It was a wonderful way to hear about all the innovative ideas and needs that come from the teachers in our district and to be part of a process that can bring about significant change in our teachers’ and students’ lives.”

Cami is now in her second year as trustee. For more information on the Foundation’s grant programs, please visit https://220foundation.org/pie-grants and https://220foundation.org/helping-hand-grants.