Inspiration

This month’s inspiration contest winner was the Youngstown Learning Center. (For contest details click here.)

Center Director Dorothy Tesner was excited to hear that her Center’s submission had been chosen.

“It’s such a joy to realize that the sincere appreciation of this child and family could touch the heart of someone beyond the walls of our Center,” she said.

Autumn Stowers is 13 and attended the Youngstown Learning Center for 2½ years. Since finishing her tutoring in 2007, Autumn has been on the merit roll at school and has even been asked by her teacher to peer tutor some of her friends in class.

“If it weren’t for the Center helping me, I would not love school as much as I do now and be as happy,” Autumn said.

Autumn’s mother called the Learning Center a godsend. She said that her family never would have been able to afford private tutoring and is incredibly grateful for the Center’s life-changing work.

“You’d never believe my broken child is the the confident lady she is now,” the mother said. "She came to the Center broken and left a warrior."

As Youngstown Center secretary Cari Marshall observed, that’s exactly what our Centers do. They teach children to be warriors, arming them with the skills to battle reading, learning, school and life.

Congratulations to Youngstown on their win. And don’t forget, for your chance to win $100 next month for your Learning Center, submit a success story to ideahub@childrenslearningcenters.org by October 31.