Baby, it’s cold outside! Fun family winter events in Illinois

• Chicago
• Winter
• Ice Sculpting
• Polar Plunge
• Special Olympics
• Hot Cocoa
• Winter Events

When the weather gets cold we tend to find ourselves spending more time indoors, snuggled up with a hot beverage. Although that sounds like bliss, getting out and enjoying events that only happen during the winter season can be just as fun, and support a good cause!

If you have never experienced ice sculptures or ice sculpting competitions, Rockford holds the High School and State Competitions. You can walk through and watch the ice sculptors, or you can drive through and view from the warmth of your car. The competitions are held at Sinnissippi Park. Admission is free and you can see ice sculptors creating their master pieces from sunrise until about 10:30 p.m. This is an activity the entire family can enjoy.

The High School Competition is held Jan. 18-20 and the State Championship will be held Jan. 17-20. For more information about this event, click here.

Another fun winter activity that you may have heard of is the Polar Plunge. This event supports the Special Olympics in Illinois by raising money for the events and programming the organization provides for the 42,000 athletes across the state. Participants raise a minimum of $100 in exchange for jumping into cold waters in the middle of winter. All the proceeds benefit the Special Olympic Athletes.

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Lewis University ranked fifth best college for veterans in the U.S.

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Lewis University
• Western Illinois University
• Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
• Best Colleges for Veterans

Lewis University has been named one of the best colleges for veterans, ranking fifth in the United States and first in Illinois, by College Choice, an independent ranking organization that utilizes data-driven research and methodology to help students and families find the best schools.

College Choice reviews a number of factors including institutional excellence, student satisfaction and return on investment to help develop its rankings.

Located in Romeoville, Lewis University offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, including options for Air Force ROTC through the Aerospace Studies program and Army ROTC through the Military Studies program. The university has also partnered with the Department of Defense to provide affordable, high-quality education globally.

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Northwestern University: Putting a stop to the crippling debt of student loans

• Northwestern University
• FAFSA
• Student Loans
• No-Loan Policy
• No-Loan Univerisites
• Evanston,

Northwestern University is leading the way in helping its students avoid crippling college debt, a move that has already helped it recruit students from lower-income families and encouraged them to avoid borrowing too much.

Northwestern University’s “no-loan” policy means that colleges will strive to cover each family’s “demonstrated financial need,” which is based on information collected through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The “no-loan” institutions remove student loans from their financial aid packages and only feature grants, scholarships, work-study aid and other components.

By doing this, Northwestern is increasing its financial aid and offering university-funded scholarships. The funds for the additional financial assistance will come from gifts to the University, endowment earnings and other sources.

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Did you know? The biggest snowfall in Illinois history happened on February 28, 1900.

• Astoria
• Snowfall
• Winter

Did you know? The biggest snowfall in Illinois history happened on February 28, 1900.

It’s been recorded as the biggest snowfall within a 24 hour time period to ever cover the state of Illinois.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association documented 36 inches of snow fell on the cold brisk day. The highest snow depth ever logged in the state was also associated with that storm.

In Astoria, 41 inches of snow were measured. Recordings have challenged those measurements throughout the years but none have broken the record.

On average, Illinois experiences five severe winter storms between the months of November and April. These storms may only consist of heavy snow, or be a mix of snow and ice.

If you ever find yourself caught in a snowstorm the best thing that you can do according to The Weather Channel is to see if there is a building close by. If there isn’t a building in sight, you should stay in your vehicle and turn the car off. Turn the car on every once in a while to heat it up, and then turn it back off to conserve gas while you wait for help.

For more information on what to do during a snowstorm click here.