The Bensenville Intergovernmental Group (BIG) comprises the five major taxing bodies for the community of Bensenville, Illinois. These taxing bodies came together after recognizing the need to coordinate the use of tax dollars in meeting the needs of Bensenville residents. Four years ago, BIG committed itself to helping Bensenville become a "life long learning community" by integrating educational, social, and community services. This mission is being realized by a task force charged with collaborative planning and action to ensure that children and families receive the full range of necessary services. These services include but are not limited to early childhood programming, including bilingual and ESL programs; family and child literacy programs; adult education and GED preparation for families; parent education; and health services for young children and families.
During the summer of 1993, the Bensenville Public Library received a Project Success grant awarded to selected local communities by the Illinois State Board of Education. This grant is part of a statewide initiative to help communities build collaborative and integrated service mechanisms which will improve service delivery to children and families. Bensenville plans to use this grant to develop a computerized information base that will enable parents, professionals, and practitioners to better access community services and resources for families in need.
Posted on March 23, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-3bens.htm