Building Strong Foundations for Families

Christy Poli has seen firsthand how community partnerships can change lives. Since joining Bensenville School District 2 (BSD2) in 2004, she has worked as the Early Childhood Program principal to connect families with resources ranging from daycare referrals to parent education. What began as small-scale efforts grew into a network of partners including the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, College of DuPage, Project HELP (now Strong Families), and the Bensenville Community Public Library.

In 2016, with help from a $24,000 Bright & Early DuPage grant, BSD2 with Bensenville Early Learners Supporters hired its first outreach coordinator. This role became the cornerstone of the district’s family engagement strategy, helping connect parents to services and opening doors to additional funding. Just two years later, the district secured a $260,000 Prevention Initiative grant, expanding its capacity to serve 36 more families.

The momentum has only grown. Since then, Bright & Early DuPage support has helped BSD2 leverage more than $5 million in federal grants, including the Full-Service Community Schools and School Climate grants. These funds have fueled evidence-based programming that advances school readiness, financial literacy, after-school opportunities, and access to critical services.

The results are tangible: two expansions of Tioga School, four new Preschool for All classrooms, two Early Head Start infant/toddler classrooms, and two Head Start preschool classrooms. Families are also thriving. Parents are learning English, finding jobs, and pursuing education. Children are receiving early interventions that close developmental gaps before kindergarten.

“Bright & Early DuPage has been more than financial support,” said Poli. “It has sparked growth, built collaboration, and created lasting change for Bensenville families.”