The St. Charles Learning Equality and Research Network, commonly referred to as STC L.E.A.R.N., is a community program that works to level the playing field for D303 students.
The organization was founded around the beginning of the pandemic as students received less educational support in online learning.
“When the pandemic had started and kids were going to go online education for the first time, it was a very eye-opening glimpse into the households of students, and it was very clear that there were students that didn’t have the same resources that a lot of other students did,” said Cheryl Denz, chair and founding member of STC L.E.A.R.N.
When her daughter voiced her concerns about her classmates’ situations during online learning, Denz was compelled to find a way to help.
“I’ve always tried to tell my children, [when they see a problem], instead of saying, ‘well, somebody should do something about that,’ you need to say, ‘I need to do something about that,’” said Denz.
In their first year, STC L.E.A.R.N. raised $20,000 by asking community members for donations.
“I’m always so surprised and pleased at the community members of St. Charles how willing people are to step up and help out when asked,” said Denz.
From providing seniors with chromebooks post-graduation to giving funds to specific classes and academic camps, STC L.E.A.R.N. offers a variety of different programs to help D303 students.
“We pay for a professional tutor to work with students in need,” said Denz. “The students are referred to us.”
The organization also provides students with physical reading material to help them perform better in school and develop a love for learning, specifically through their summer book bags.
“Over the summer, we deliver book bags to [kindergarten] through fifth grade D303 students. They’re referred to us through the school social workers,” said Denz. “We pick out about five books each month that are at their reading level and [match] what their interests are, and we deliver them directly to their doorstep.”
D303 students, staff and parents can get support from STC L.E.A.R.N. by filling out a form on their website. Funds or resources are generally supplied to students within 30 days.
“We meet once a month, and we go through all the funding requests at that point in time,” said Denz. “Then, we can deliver checks directly to where [they] need to be.”
Donations from D303 alumni are a major stream of funding, but people are welcome to donate to the organization any time through their website or by reaching out to Denz.
“If there’s ever any organizations out there that are looking to pick out a charity to raise money for during the course of the year, please pick us, because 100% of our funds go back directly to D303 students,” said Denz. “We greatly appreciate any donations that [people] can give. Every little bit helps.”
