They come to Woodstock from throughout northern Illinois, even southern Wisconsin, to get a glimpse of space travel. That’s what Challenger Learning Center at Olson Elementary School offers visitors, and the program has taken off since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the report the Board of Education in Woodstock School District 200 […]
Elementary students from across Woodstock School District 200 have begun the servant leadership portion of their Difference Makers program by visiting local assisted living facilities and senior programs to connect with elderly residents. Difference Makers is a grant-funded, after-school program conducted in partnership with the city of Woodstock to help fourth- and fifth-graders develop their […]
The Woodstock Challenger Learning Center invites the community to an evening of space exploration. Family Night Open House will take place at the Challenger Learning Center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. No registration is required for this free event. Children must be accompanied by an adult. “Join us for a night of […]
The Olson Elementary Mustang Leadership Team got a pep talk from a real community leader recently as the fifth-graders prepared to ask local businesses to support the school’s upcoming Color Run event. Tom Wilson, owner of MBI Staffing in Woodstock, greeted the students Jan. 17 at the Metra train station, which MBI recently leased, refurbished, […]
Two Woodstock North High School alumnae never dreamed they would be interested in space law enough to coordinate a fundraiser for summer space campers at Challenger Learning Center in Woodstock. Isabella Mazzanti and Jessica Swank are current juris doctor candidates at the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Law for May 2023. Mazzanti is a 2016 […]
Mars is a tough planet for fourth-graders to navigate, which is why adult flight commanders are such an important part of Woodstock School District 200’s Challenger Learning Center. The center is looking for some new leaders to assist the crew that guides groups of students from across Illinois and southern Wisconsin through Expedition Mars and […]
Restrictions and concerns about the continuing pandemic have not deterred missions at the Challenger Learning Center for Science and Technology in Woodstock. Since the center opened in 2001, more than 150,000 students have completed missions. In the summer of 2019, the facility was moved to Olson Elementary School from the Woodstock center of Aurora University. […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.