CARBONDALE, Ill. (WSIL) -- A new agreement between SIU and Carbondale Elementary School District 95 aims to help students of all ages thrive.
On Thursday, SIU Chancellor Austin Lane and Carbondale District 95 Superintendent Daniel Booth signed a memorandum of agreement at Carbondale Middle School.
This new agreement provides mentoring and educational opportunities, summer camps, and collaboration between the university and the 1,500 student district.
Both leaders say they look forward to the opportunity.
"Super excited about working with SIU and under Chancellor Lane's vision for collaboration. We are going to get it going," said Superintendent Daniel Booth.
"As long overdue, we are excited about the partnership, we're excited about being able to engage with our young students that are here and make sure that they know how to become those doctors, those lawyers, dentist. Automotive technicians. Pilots," said Chancellor Lane.
Agreement contains several features
Carbondale Elementary School District No. 95 is comprised of Carbondale Middle School, Lewis School, Parrish Elementary School and Thomas School.
The agreement includes:
- SIU will provide virtual or in-person educational and mentoring opportunities for Carbondale district elementary students in any academic areas of interest.
- Students will have opportunities to attend summer camps on campus.
- The chancellor will meet with and speak to students and parents about SIU.
- An admissions coordinator will also speak in-person or virtually to students and their families regarding SIU admissions.
- Students in third through eighth grade will participate in on-campus opportunities such as shadowing SIU students, attending classes as guests and touring campus.
- Student leaders and administrators at SIU will have opportunities to speak in-person or virtually to school district members.
- The school district will allow virtual or in-person visits with seventh and eighth-graders one to three times a year.
A two-degree SIU Carbondale graduate, Booth earned a bachelor’s degree in health education and his master’s degree in educational administration, and he is working on his doctorate in educational administration. Booth will return to Carbondale Community High School in July and begin duties as superintendent there.
