Deb's work in supporting our scholarship distribution at Peoria High is so appreciated, but her support of the Peoria Public Schools Foundation is longstanding. She has been a valued volunteer for our events and activities for more than a decade. We are so grateful to her commitment to the students and our mission. Congratulations Deb!

Val truly defines the definition of hero by always giving her heart and leadership to provided amazing learning opportunities for the students of Glen Oak. She is a joy to collaborate with and is a huge support for our Glen Oak Horizons program. She is a driving force behind the remarkable educational experience for students each day at Glen Oak. Congratulations on being the March hero, Val!

Pat Rayford, or Miss Pat as she is affectionately known, has spent a career working as a One on One Support Aide for students who need additional personalized attention in the classroom. However, Miss Pat’s work goes well beyond as she is an active part of all the schools that she has worked in, helping students in the entire building meet & exceed expectations. She quietly works behind the scenes to make sure that students achieve success. She is an inspiration for her dedication to the educational experience for her students, as well as working to empower her students to excel. Thank you Miss Pat for all you do for the students in Peoria Public Schools.

Steve has been a very generous supporter of the PPS Foundation. Because of his own generosity and his ability to encourage support from others, he made a big impact in the success of the 365 Breakfast. Prairie Home Alliance has also been a generous supporter for many organizations throughout the Peoria community. We are honored to award Steve Jackson as a PPS Foundation Hero of the Month.

Chris is always there to help with Foundation needs. He works with his staff on the huge job of setup for our annual 365 Breakfast, making sure everything looks amazing and goes off without a hitch! He is also instrumentally important in helping us keep Foundation storage, located at Woodruff, organized. He gets boxes down for us on a last-minute call. He truly is a huge help, even when we give them very little notice. He always has a smile on his face and is just delightful to work with. Chris is a hero indeed. Thank you Chris for all you do!

Josh has been instrumental in managing the community partnership between Hy-Vee and the PPS Foundation. He helps on the grocery side with food distribution to many of our little free pantries, coordinates the supports for our holiday basket distributions, works with us on fundraising events, and provides pizza delivery and treats to our building. We for forever grateful for this partnership and all the work Josh does in support of Peoria Public Schools. He truly is a hero.

Ms. Cobb is an outstanding principal. The parents at the school give her high praise and the students love her too. We love working with Ms. Cobb, whether on grants, projects or our endowed funds. She is always positive and kind. Katie Cobb is an unsung hero.

The IB Program is a college preparatory program where junior and senior year students take college level courses and earn college credit by taking exams at the end of the school year. As the IB Program Coordinator since 2021, Tom has emphasized the importance of community involvement and various life skills to help these students succeed in college and beyond. Recently, Tom has spearheaded a project that allowed students to beautify the Richwoods building by painting murals on the walls. Thank you Tom for over 25 years of service in Peoria Public Schools.