Twenty-five-year-old Illinois pre-kindergarten teacher Andrea de Avila's BIG idea to transform her school's courtyard roof into a garden and play area for an early childhood program was awarded the $25,000 grand prize grant from the BE BIG Fund as part of the Scholastic "BE BIG In Your Community Contest." Andrea's vision will come to life with the support of Chicago Cares, a HandsOn Network affiliate.

Ten additional contest entries were selected as first place prize winners and 19 second place winners will be awarded grants to help implement their BE BIG ideas to improve their communities with the help of HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation division of Points of Light.

The national "BE BIG in Your Community Contest" is a signature part of Scholastic's ongoing Clifford The Big Red Dog BE BIG! Campaign sponsored by American Family Insurance. The contest invited participants to submit an idea that demonstrates Clifford's Big Ideas (Share, Help Others, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Play Fair, Be a Good Friend, Believe in Yourself, Have Respect, Work Together and Be Truthful) for a chance to win a community grant to be used to implement the winning proposals. Since its inception in 2009, the contest has generated more than 2,500 entries from more than 60,000 children, parents, teachers and community leaders ranging in age from 2 to 70. Scholastic Media is a division of Scholastic Inc., a global children's publishing, education and media company.

"We are excited to celebrate young, influential change agents like Andrea," said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light. "By joining forces with Scholastic, we hope to inspire and engage young people and families around the world to make service and civic engagement a priority in their everyday lives."

De Avila says she was inspired to apply for a BE BIG grant in order to provide a safe space for outdoor play and learning for her school's students. By encouraging participation in the creation and maintenance of an eco-friendly garden, de Avila's BIG idea will also foster an appreciation for caring for the environment and community. The project will depend on the support of local volunteers, who will assist in developing the play area and planting the garden.

The 10 additional first place prize winning ideas will each be awarded a $2,500 community grant. Nineteen second place prize winning ideas - one from each state in American Family Insurance's 19-state business territory - will also receive grants totaling $25,000. For a full list of the 10 first place prize winners visit: http://www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contest/

The winning BIG ideas were selected by a panel of judges based on four criteria: feasibility, creativity, sustainability and impact.