We've Been Selected as a 2026 AARP Community Challenge Grantee!

Vanguard Gifted Academy is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive a 2026 AARP Community Challenge grant. This year, only 750 grantees were chosen from 5,100 applications from across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With this quick-action grant, we are installing a new Little Free Library and an ADA-approved bench designed to bring our neighborhood together. We have tied the library's design to our students' recent lessons, decorating it to celebrate Illinois native animals and ocean creatures. Because our campus sits just across the street from the Heritage Woods assisted living facility, we specifically welcome the residents to walk over, pick up a new book, and chat with our students and neighborhood families. The addition of the ADA-approved bench ensures that everyone has a comfortable, accessible place to sit, read, and visit together. We want this space to be a welcoming rest stop for the whole community—which is why we also added a dog treat container and a dog water bowl for our four-legged neighbors! This project will advance our efforts to make Batavia a place where people of all ages can thrive.

"We are incredibly proud that AARP selected Vanguard Gifted Academy for this investment to help make Batavia more livable for residents of all ages," stated Amy Trujillo, Head of School. "AARP is a national leader in supporting communities to become more livable, and we are honored they recognize the value and impact this project will bring to our area."

To learn more about Vanguard Gifted Academy, we invite you to connect with us. We are a not-for-profit microschool dedicated to serving gifted and twice-exceptional learners. Enrollment is currently open for the year, and we offer rolling admissions, so it is always open. We love having visitors, so please reach out to schedule a tour ahead of time!

About the AARP Community Challenge

The AARP Community Challenge grant program supports projects that improve public places, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, disaster resilience, and more. These grants are part of AARP's broader Livable Communities initiative, which helps neighborhoods, towns, cities, and counties across the country become great places for people of all ages. AARP believes communities should offer:

  • Safe, walkable streets

  • Affordable and accessible housing and transportation options

  • Access to essential services

  • Opportunities for residents to engage and participate fully in community life

To explore all 750 projects funded this year - or to view an interactive map of current and past Community Challenge projects - visit AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

Learn more about AARP's nationwide Livable Communities work at AARP.org/Livable.

Art, Educational, Community NewsAmy TrujilloVanguard Gifted AcademyAARP Community Challenge, Little Free Library, Vanguard Gifted Academy, Batavia IL, Fox Valley, community, intergenerational, ADA accessible, gifted education, twice exceptional, microschool, neighborhood, Heritage Woods, community grant