Illinois schools receive Compeer Financial grants

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Compeer Financial announced 22 middle and high schools across Illinois will receive up to $4,000 each to support agricultural education programs and equipment through its Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program.

In total, Compeer is awarding 65 schools in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin a total of $239,815.

The grants represent Compeer’s commitment to rural communities by providing middle and high school students with hands-on learning experiences and new technologies that showcase the limitless opportunities within the agricultural industry.

With a mere 1.2% of U.S. employment tied to direct on-farm jobs, fewer people, even in rural communities, have a connection to agriculture.

Supporting ag education enables students to better understand the many ways agriculture touches our lives with the hope of sparking their interest in pursuing a career in the ag industry.

“We know when young people experience agriculture through hands-on activities, it sparks a passion for the industry,” said Karen Schieler, manager of corporate giving at Compeer Financial.

“Compeer is committed to helping ag education programs have access to classroom equipment and technology so students can have real-world experiences. These grants provide support to high school programs that are essential to creating the next generation of agriculture advocates.”

The Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program is part of Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program.

Funding will support programs and technologies for a variety of classes linked to agriculture, including animal and plant sciences, food science and chemistry, veterinary, horticulture, mechanics, forestry and wildlife, aquatics and more.

Of this year’s recipients, 31 schools, or 34%, are receiving the Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant for the first time.

Middle and high school agriculture departments within Compeer’s 114-county territory are eligible to apply for the grant program, provided they did not receive a grant during the prior two years. The 2026 application will open in April.

The 22 Illinois school programs earning an Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant in 2025 include:

• Alden-Hebron High School: Dissection trays, scalpels, scissors, gloves and safety goggles.

•​​​​​​​ Ashton-Franklin Center Community Unit School District 275: Temperature probes, sensors and charge stations.

•​​​​​​​ Cambridge Community Unit School District 227: An animal wet lab.

•​​​​​​​ Evanston Township High School District 202: Hydroponics and aquaponics systems.

•​​​​​​​ Forreston Junior-Senior High School and Forrestville Valley Community Unit School District 221: Polycarbonate panels and connection supplies for the greenhouse.

•​​​​​​​ Galva High School Agriculture Department: An aquaculture system.

•​​​​​​​ Hinckley-Big Rock High School: Insulation for Ag Building.

•​​​​​​​ La Salle-Peru Township High School: A floral cooler, animal dissection pans and equipment and electricity equipment.

•​​​​​​​ Morrison High School: Sensors and lab equipment.

•​​​​​​​ Nauvoo-Colusa Community Unit School District 325: Livestock models.

•​​​​​​​ Peotone High School: Kitchen materials and a grow tower.

•​​​​​​​ Pleasant Hill Community Unit School District 3: Upgrading the greenhouse irrigation, heating and cooling systems.

•​​​​​​​ Prairie Central Junior High: Plasma cutter, welding helmets, a laser printer, grinder, oscillating multi-tool and screwdriver sets.

•​​​​​​​ Putnam County FFA— Illinois: Power tools, wood and fasteners.

•​​​​​​​ Riverdale High School— Community Unit School District 100: Laser blade.

•​​​​​​​ Roanoke-Benson Community Unit School District 60: Environment control systems for the greenhouse.

•​​​​​​​ Rochelle Township High School: Drones.

•​​​​​​​ Rushville-Industry High School: Greenhouse improvements.

•​​​​​​​ Stark County Community Unit School District 100: A start-up greenhouse.

•​​​​​​​ West Carroll High School: Electrophoresis systems.

•​​​​​​​ Winnebago High School: Lab and classroom materials, food science equipment and FFA chapter materials.

•​​​​​​​ Yorkville Christian High School: Supplies for food science, agriculture mechanics, horticulture and plant science classes.