District 99 receives award from Illinois Principals Association

Community High School District 99 leaders Erin Ludwick, associate principal at Downers Grove North High School, and Sara Courington, associate principal at Downers Grove South High School, received the Reaching Out and Building Bridges Award from the Illinois Principals Association for their work with grit2, a local non-profit organization.

The IPA award recognizes those who display an outstanding effort in creating partnerships between schools, principals, associations and organizations for the betterment of all. The grit2 mission is to connect students, families and our community with resources to support mental health and wellness. Ludwick and Courington oversee student support and counseling services at their respective schools.

“Like other districts throughout the nation, the mental health of our nearly 5,000 students is a great concern in our schools following the pandemic,” Hank Thiele, District 99′s superintendent, said in a news release. “Erin and Sara recognize that by partnering with grit2, we can increase the impact and level of support we can provide to our students.”

Ludwick and Courington serve on grit2′s advisory board, and have collaborated with grit2 leaders to develop innovative mental health and wellness programs, workshops and webinars covering topics such as depression, substance abuse and stress management.

“Erin and Sara have been invaluable to grit2. Their insights, expertise and thoughtfulness have brought our programming and its impact to a new level,” Ann Cummins, grit2 Board chairwoman, said in the release. “Personally and professionally, they are just amazing people who truly care about their District 99 students and community. This award couldn’t be more well deserved.”

Since its creation, grit2 has hosted speakers, forums, in-school programming, mental health provider fairs and May Mental Health Awareness Month activities throughout the community.

“From my lens as principal, I see first hand the mental health struggles that our students encounter on a daily basis and the impact on academics,” Courtney DeMent, principal at Downers Grove North High School, said in the release. “Despite all of our people and programs, we always could provide more. Our work with grit2 allows us to augment our resources to realize more positive student outcomes.”

With the leadership and guidance of Ludwick and Courington, grit2 has recently created a teen advisory board. Student representatives are able to advocate about the importance of mental health to their peers, which strengthens the impact of the messages in order to improve the health of all students.

“Being a community member myself, I’ve witnessed how important this program is,” Downers Grove South High School Principal Arwen Lyp said in the release. “I’m always amazed by the level of talent that we have in our schools, and this is evidenced by Sara and Erin every day.”

For more information about the Illinois Principals Association and its award programs, visit http://www.ilprincipals.org/.