Senator Bill Cunningham took part in an Illinois education tradition this week, serving as "Principal for the Day" at Sandburg High School in Chicago's District 230. The Illinois Principals Association invites lawmakers to step into the shoes of a principal in their district to honor the work and commitment of school leaders, educators and students.

Senator Cunningham wants to share information for constituents in the 18th District. His colleague in the Illinois House, State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford, distributes routine updates about grants that are available to state and local governments and community agencies and Sen. Cunningham is pleased to pass this on to more potential candidates.

Examples include grants for education, health, disabilities, cultural heritage, rural development and many other programs. Because grants have application deadlines, Sen. Cunningham recommends interested parties take advantage of the time needed to apply for grants by subscribing to a weekly update provided by the Illinois Legislative Research Unit.

 The Legislative Research Unit is the chief general research agency for the Illinois General Assembly. LRU provides nonpartisan, objective, documented, and timely information. They are authorized to do research only for members of the General Assembly or their staffs. However, several major publications are available to the public.

Click here to subscribe to a weekly update on available grants.

Senator Bill Cunningham and Representative Fran Hurley helped Sheriff Tom Dart and the Green Hill Library collect donated books in July.