IBF awards $20,000 grant to Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation in East St. Louis

The Illinois Bar Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce a $20,000 grant to Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation in East St. Louis, one of 32 grants awarded this year totaling $304,965. Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation provides free civil legal assistance to low-income persons and senior citizens in 65 counties in central and southern Illinois through five regional offices and a centralized Legal Advice and Referral Center. The $20,000 grant was made to support the new Education Advocacy Project, a collaboration of Land of Lincoln's East St. Louis Office and the Griffin Center. The purpose of the project is to advocate for the educational rights of children in District 189 (East St. Louis) and to support and empower parents and teachers in their efforts to provide children with a quality education and strong academic foundation. Five hundred elementary age children, who participate in after school programs with Griffin Center, are represented by the program. A Child Advocate regularly monitors the academic and social progress of their assigned children, checking in on a weekly basis with their assigned children's teachers and working closely with the parents to in their efforts to improve the child's education. East St. Louis is one of the poorest cities in America with 80% of the population living in or near poverty. The East St. Louis school district has been failing its students for years. The district is on Academic Watch Status by the State and Corrective Action Status with the Federal government. According to the 2007 Illinois District Report Card, only 45.8% of East St. Louis' state test scores met or exceeded the Illinois Learning Standards, as compared to 73.8% statewide. As the charitable affiliate of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Foundation's mission is to ensure meaningful access to the justice system, especially for those with limited means, and to assist lawyers who can no longer support themselves due to incapacity. This past year, through the support of ISBA members, IBF distributed more than $425,000 to support these efforts.