THE FOUNDATION

With the goal of enhancing children’s learning through the support of exemplary teaching, the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation was launched in 1972 as a private, not-for-profit international operating foundation, which creates and directs its own programs. A catalyst for excellence in education, the Foundation has developed numerous education and arts programs in the United States and abroad. The Foundation currently directs early childhood teaching awards and an urban early literacy program that includes a traveling children’s museum-on-wheels. The Foundation is located at 1770 First Street, Suite 705, in Highland Park, Illinois.

FOUNDATION PROGRAMS

THE PRESIDENT

Dolores Kohl, President and CEO, is the founder of the Dolores Kohl Education Foundation. Kohl’s work focuses on early childhood education, with a current emphasis on literacy efforts for low-income urban families. Published works include Gladly We Teach; Ideas in Social Studies; Ideas in Math; Teacher Centers in the '80s; Language Arts; and Teaching Soviet Children.

FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS

  • Developed and directed the Kohl McCormick StoryBus, an urban early childhood literacy program for young children in Chicago’s under-resourced communities.
  • Hosted a Teachers’ Center conference in June, 2004.
  • Directed the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards. Established in 1995 to raise public awareness about the importance of early childhood education, this prestigious program succeeded the Kohl International Teaching Awards.
  • Directed the Kohl International Teaching Awards including Peace Prizes, Media Awards and Corporate Awards.
  • Launched, and for 15 years directed, the Kohl Children’s Museum.
  • Funded productions for the arts including Die Fledermaus and Ruth Page’s production of The Merry Widow for WTTW-TV, as well as the Cincinnati Ballet production of Billy Sunday for PBS. The Merry Widow production received a 1985 Peabody Award.
  • Funded Song of Radauti by Laurence Salzmann.
  • Produced films on education including Animated Pie; Now We Live on Clifton; Winnie Wright and Iroquois Music in 1975.
  • Operated four Teacher Centers in Illinois and Israel.
  • Conducted the International Teacher Center Conference in Jerusalem, Israel in 1981.