The Greater Chicago Region of JASNA (JASNA-GCR) supports programs that enhance the study of Jane Austen. Our education grants have provided materials for school libraries and classrooms, sent speakers to schools, and funded school plays based on Jane Austen's novels. We are open to new ideas for high school students.

In the past, we have supported essay contests and sent speakers to schools. In 2006, JASNA-GCR granted class sets of Jane Austen books and other materials to Noble Street Charter High School, and, in 2007, awarded outreach grants of $250 each to two new charter schools in the Chicago Public School System: Rauner College Prep and Pritzker College Prep. Both schools requested funds to enhance their school libraries with books by and about Jane Austen.

2008 was a busy year for Chicago-GCR Education Outreach as twe awarded a class set of Emma to Wheaton North High School, hosted a Friday afternoon session for area high school students as part of the AGM, and then awarded prizes to winning essays writers among those students.. In 2010, JASNA-GCR sponsored a poster contest, Celebrating the Life of Jane Austen or One of Her Novels, for which the first place winner received $300, two runners up each received $100, and two honorable mention winners each received $50.

Most recently, at the 2011 spring Gala, we awarded sets of novels to Lakeview High School. For the past four years, JASNA-GCR has sent speakers to the DuPage County English Teachers Institute Dayl. If you are a teacher or school administrator in the Chicago region who would like to apply for one of our education grants, please contact our Education Outreach Director, Linda Reinert, at outreach@jasnachicago.org.