Learning Tree survives South Bend budget cuts
By COURTNEY BOYLE
News Writer
Saint Mary's and the South Bend Community School Corporation joined together to keep the Learning Tree alive and open for community use.
After 26 years, the budget for the Learning Tree, a community workspace for teachers, students, parents and the community in general, was cut out of the SBCSC budget last spring. Since then, Saint Mary's has taken on the program in the form of a permanent loan.
"Students used us because they didn't have a resource center. A lot of students came down," director Jane Fogal said. "When they cut the program I saw a need for it and here we are."
The Learning Tree is a designed program where the community can come and make instructional materials or receive ideas on how to implement pre-existing ideas one may have. While this workspace is geared toward education majors and teachers in the community, it is open to all to make projects or posters for clubs, bind books or simply have something laminated.
"I think it is a wonderful resource for all of our students, especially for our education students, but I see it as a supply for many clubs on campus. It will be a community link, which is a nice community partnership and outreach on campus," Education Department chair Marie Doyle said.
When the SBCSC loaned the program to Saint Mary's, it also donated most of the equipment needed to run it, and Saint Mary's inherited the salary of the director. However, it is hoped the Learning Tree will start to pay for itself in time because the center will charge for its services and supplies. Fogal insures that the reason for charging the students and community is simply so she can replenish the supplies for everyone to use.
"We do charge a penny or so above cost, but that's because we'd like to see the center support itself," said Doyle.
The center is full of games and learning activities, which were all made by the Learning Tree staff at some point, which have been geared to children in pre-school through sixth grade and can be purchased at a low price. There is also a laminator available, card stock, poster board, game markers, dice and two Ellison machines to help with scrap booking, bulletin boards and posters.
"It'll be great, last year I did my methods class and we had to get off campus to go to Kinko's. So having it here will be much better because we'll get to do it ourselves. I'm glad they finally got us a resource center like South Bend had," Nicole Sommers said.
The area currently housing the Learning Tree is Madeleva 325, a much smaller space than the center is used to having. However, Fogal said the service will still manage to come together in the space provided.
All News Stories for Monday, December 3, 2001
