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The Illinois Press Foundation awarded scholarships to three students - Ben Orner, Timothy Eggert and Kade Heather - during its Dec. 5 meeting of the IPF Board. Pictured at the Springfield office are (from left) IPF Board President Jerry Reppert, Orner, Eggert, Heather, PAR Program Director Jason Piscia and IPF Foundation Director Jeff Rogers. (Photo by Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois)
At its December board meeting, the Illinois Press Foundation Board of Directors awarded three $1,200 scholarships to University of Illinois Springfield Public Affairs Reporting graduate students Timothy Eggert, Kade Heather and Ben Orner.
Timothy Eggert holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Writing, from Northern Michigan University, having graduated in August. While at Northern Michigan, Eggert was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The North Wind, during his senior year. He covered state and local governments, elections and politics for the weekly publication. He also oversaw the editorial and business operations, managing a 10-editor staff, assigning stories, reviewing the page layout, and editing stories.
“My undergraduate studies in English and writing at Northern Michigan University introduced me to the value of differing views and gave me the tools to ask complex questions, practice thoughtful analysis and evolve my writing,” Eggert said. “Three years as a reporter and editor for the independent student newspaper allowed me to utilize those tools and expand my appreciation for community journalism.”
His journalistic adviser at The North Wind, Jackie Stark, said, “Tim has an eye for detail and a nose for reporting. Unafraid to ask the tough questions, and also unafraid to seek out help from those who may have more expertise than he does, Tim is exactly the combination of confident yet humble that I believe makes for an outstanding journalist.”
Eggert hopes to cover a beat focused on state or local governments, the environments or social health for an Illinois daily newspaper upon graduation.
“I expect to use my career in professional journalism to make state government more accessible to Illinoisans, and to bring perspective to confidence to the democratic conversation.”
Eggert is a reporting intern with Chicago Daily Law Bulletin this spring.
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Kade Heather graduated in May from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. While at ISU, Heather worked for the student newspaper, The Vidette, and student radio station, WZND. He covered mostly sports in college, but decided to attend the Public Affairs Reporting program, he said, because “I wanted to advance my education of journalism and understand the political world of it in a time that political journalism is crucial.”
Heather is from Saint Charles and would prefer to remain in Illinois when he begins his professional career, but said he’s willing to go anywhere he thinks would fit best.
“I want to help provide the public its right to know the truth and tell stories that make a difference.”
John Plevka, general manager of The Vidette, called Heather a leader with an “exemplary work ethic and a drive to excel.”
He said Heather met all challenges “quietly and efficiently,” and “possesses the poise, temperament and the overall good humor to grow as a journalist.”
Heather hopes to cover anything from local or state government to sports and sports law. And if anyone needs him to sling some papers, he can do that, too. He served as a route driver for The Vidette, delivering bundles of printed Videttes at 6 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
“This is not glamorous work,” Plevka said, “but Kade does it without complaint – even in the dead of a central Illinois winter.” Heather’s reporting internship this spring is with the State Journal-Register of Springfield.
Ben Orner grew up in the historic town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, so it’s probably no coincidence he is a lover of history, civics and service. Orner graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Until joining the PAR program, he was a special projects producer at WILX-TV in Lansing, Michigan. While there, his news producer said, Orner took a leadership role on weekend newscasts. He also has TV broadcast experience in Austin, Texas, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Now, Orner wants to hone his newspaper reporting skills.
“In every story I write, I try to bring context and depth, while making sure my reader knows how the story impacts them,” he said. “I want to use my multi-platform journalism skills to help people understand how governments and institutions affect them.”
In five years, Orner hopes to be either covering a public-affairs related beat for a newspaper or digital news outlet, or working on some type of projects team at a newspaper, public radio station or TV station.
Susan Kirkman Zake, an associate professor at Kent State and the faculty newsroom adviser, has high praise for Orner. “He is the kind of young journalist who makes me optimistic about the future of journalism and its future leaders,” she said, noting that Orner has a “relentless desire to dig and dig until he finds the answers to his questions. … His combination of skills and determination place him in an elite class of students.”
Orner is an intern this spring with Capitol News Illinois.
Illinois Press Foundation Director Jeff Rogers speaks during the awarding of scholarships to graduate students in the University of Illinois Springfield's Public Affairs Reporting program. (Photo by Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
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