As the 2024-2025 school year began, ETHS wrapped up construction on the new Alumni Hall. Formerly a large, multi-purpose room, the hall was renovated to have a more college-like feel with modern technology and architecture.

The project was carried out by the ETHS Foundation, an organization that has funded various projects and scholarships within the school for 20 years. The planetarium, greenhouse and now Alumni Hall are all projects funded and carried out by the foundation.

“Money is undercapitalized at ETHS,” ETHS Foundation Executive Director Joanne Bertsche said. “We provide resources and facilities that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”

Alumni Hall is intended to be a haven for collaborative educational opportunities propelled by leading technology within the ETHS community. The room will host events such as conferences from local colleges and universities and presentations from guest speakers around the world.

“It was very important to us that [Alumni Hall] touches every group within ETHS,” Associate Executive Director Sarah Schmidt said. The room was designed with equity at the forefront, with Bertsche and Schmidt emphasizing the importance of it being a space every ETHS student could use and feel seen in.

“Our mission is to raise money to improve the ETHS experience for all students,” Betsche said. “Families and alum from beyond Evanston were touched by ETHS and want [this generation] to have a great experience as well.”