About Us

About The SEDOL Foundation

What is SEDOL?

The Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) is responsible for providing physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged children from age 3 to 22 with educational opportunities appropriate to each child's needs. Conditions range from emotional and behavioral disorders to children who are deaf with normal cognitive ability, to children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or Autism.

SEDOL serves 31 school districts in Lake County and over 2,200 students with special needs. Approximately 40% of the students come from single parent family homes and another 40% come from low socio-economic backgrounds.

2,200+ Students with special needs

What is the SEDOL Foundation?

The SEDOL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves special needs children and young adults who are physically, mentally and emotionally disabled, and their families. Founded in 1991 by SEDOL, the Foundation is dedicated to helping these children, their parents and siblings with support and services that the district cannot provide because public funding falls short of the enormous needs.

The Foundation seeks funds and other resources for these special families, many of whom are stretched both financially and emotionally in ways most of us will never know. For them, the list of needs is extremely long and growing.

The SEDOL Foundation was created to help fill the expanding gap between available tax dollars, children's and family needs, emerging technology, and other enabling resources that can improve and extend the lives of those with special needs.

What is our Mission?

To generate and distribute resources that enrich educational, vocational, and social opportunities for children with disabilities in Lake County.

What are our Goals?

The Foundation supports students, families, and the community through services, technology, resources, and strong leadership.

  • Provide enhanced services and programs that improve learning skills and academic achievement.
  • Develop the ability to lead more independent and productive lives, including work-related and employability skills.
  • Help students learn appropriate social skills and demonstrate more social confidence.
  • Enrich the quality of students' lives.
  • Provide technology and equipment where school districts and insurance companies cannot, including wheel chairs, assistive technology, strollers, and communication devices.
  • Establish community awareness, interest, and support around the mission and needs of the SEDOL Foundation.
  • Provide enhanced services and programs for families of special needs children, including counseling, respite care, support services, sign language classes, and summer camp scholarships.
  • Engage an active and effective Board of Directors that uses relevant data and established best practices in fundraising and decision making.

How can you get involved?

Volunteers are a critical component to the success of the SEDOL Foundation. As the Foundation works to generate resources for children with disabilities, numerous opportunities are available for members of the community to help out.

Opportunities range in time commitment and skills, offering a wide variety of activities to choose from. Whether your interest is in board membership, committee membership, administrative tasks, or special fundraising events, there's something for everyone.

If volunteering your time doesn't work for you, we always accept monetary donations or donations of goods or services. Giving of your time, talent, or financial resources can make a lot of difference in a child's life and enrich your own life.

Volunteer Donate

Board of Trustees

Mary Sowers

Chair

Retired SEDOL Principal

Mike Frank

Vice Chair

Zebra Technologies

James Gruber

Treasurer

Eton Pharmaceuticals

David Raye

Secretary

The Goddard School

Members at Large

Carl Abrahamson

Associated Bank

Anthony Adams

Retired, Chicago Bears

Mike Adams

JLL

Jerry Allen

Libertyville Bank & Trust

Mark Bechtold

The Federal Savings Bank

Kim Bedard-Sharun

Valent BioSciences

Paul Benjamin

The Hechtman Group

Bill Bennett

Altounian Construction Inc

Melissa Brunette

AbbVie Inc.

Joseph Charneske

The Charneske Group

Dan Clark

Member at Large

Thomas Doherty

Pitney Bowes

Sue Facklam

Member at Large

Stephanie Felinczak

Takeda Pharmaceuticals Intl.

Amy Giertych

Member at Large

Peter Graves

GravesDesignGroup

Drake Haigh

SERVPRO

Dr. Michael Karner

Lake County Regional Office of Education

Karen Peterson

Member at Large

Rachael Rock

Hollister Incorporated

Kevin Rogers

Microsoft

Benjamin Rubin

Rubin Law

David Rutkowski

Member at Large

Al Scaletta

Comcast Business

Kristina Scheppa

Hollister Incorporated

Kim Smith

Advocate Condell Centre Club

Tracy Wasilewski

Member at Large

Mary Witte Tabbert

Edward Jones

Tom Zengeler

Zengeler Cleaners

Emeritus

Thomas Aldrich

Emeritus Member

John Burnett

The Goddard School - Round Lake

Richard Daniels

Daniels, Long & Pinsel

Thomas Kibbe

Emeritus Member

Kurt Kreighbaum

Retired, Medline