Our Mission is to provide comprehensive services to a diverse population within Kewanee, Illinois and the surrounding areas in Henry County. These services will include a variety of educational support services, and community empowerment and support programs.

Our agency started as a dream of our Executive Director, Etta LaFlora, who has been a resident of this community for over 40 years.

 See links for more information

When the opportunity arose to continue the child care component of an adult literacy program, she chose to make this dream a reality.

With the assistance of Mattie Owens in September of 2008 the Sunshine Early Learning Center opened its doors in the Old Franklin School Building at 600 N. Lexington Avenue.

Etta, along with Sue Bubnick, provided a quality child care program for the GED and ESL parents enrolled in Kewanee Reading Partners, a project of Black Hawk College.

In the fall of 2009, we launched Parents and Teachers Together, Empowering, Reaching, and Nourishing Students (PATTERNS), a program to help link school with community. This program was for the  parents of middle schools students.

The week of February 6, 2012 we  launched the new Step-Ladder Tutoring Program which is aimed to advance the potential, academic achievement and school success for all learners.

The numerous hours of volunteer service has been vital to the success of the Step-Ladder Tutoring Program.  The following volunteer tutors dedciated their time to this project.

Volunteer Tutors
Past & Present

Cassandra Ingels  Anita Blanks
Flor Martinez  Chris Downs
Jiara Ibarra    Tori Gustafson   Toni Smith
Linnea Hepner   Rachel Wentworth
Danielle Fickling    Cecilia Martinez
Tina Landsiedel-Clark   Angela French Jesse Wheelhouse  Kate Reynolds,
Jack Reynolds Jenni Eastman
Lea Eastman    Sherri Jamison
Evelyn Cortez     Morgan Hamilton
Ashlee Werkheiser, Nikki Ferns,
Kali Oliva-Farrell, Phyllis Dotson, Cleverette Conley, Barbara Gerard, 
Kay Skutnick,  Eric Schave, Victoria West, Greg Wyman, Brendan Jamison,Carol Gutschlag, Dorothy Meindok, Desiree Gleason, Gabby Cummings, Nora Meindok, Elizabeth Bral
 Antoinette Hall, Elizabeth Jamison
Samantha Culver, Jayna Hansen,
Frey D. Guerrero, Angela Lutz,
Brandi York, Patty Varner, Norma Good, Yadira Chavez, Soledad Estrada



 Board and Staff

Etta LaFlora, Executive Director

Dr. Mary Kay Fulton
Director of Educational Services

Candace Oliva, Board President
Dr. Sharon Gibson, Vice President
DeMonica Flagg, Secretary/Treasurer

Marcia Gleeson, Consultant


(see board member information
link to the right)

How have we made it this far?

From the hard work of  a dedicated staff, board, volunteers,Candace Oliva, Dr. Mary Kay Fulton,  Dr. Sharon Gibson, Marcia Gleeson, and DeMonica Flagg who are determined to help us make a difference in our community. 

Major Funders for the
Step Ladder Tutoring Program are

Kewanee Area United Way,  AmerenIP, and  our anonymous donors.

Kewanee and Wethersfield School Districts, for donation of space and transportation.  Black Hawk College for donation of facilities for recruitment, training and community awareness programs, Kewanee Public Library for donation of space for our summer program.

Plus, individual and private donations from citizens in the community and surrounding areas.

The following businesses for donation space for our Tag Days Fundraisers and/or gift certificates for students and volunteers:

Walmart, , Save-a-Lot, Sullivans,
 Woodforest National Bank, McDonald's

Thanks for Supporting our Tag Days!!!

We appreciate the local, city, state, and governmental officials who took time out our their busy schedules to attend programs in support of the Step Ladder Tutoring Program.

Newly Elected U.S. State Rep. Dan Swanson
Former U.S. State Rep. Donald Moffitt
Rep. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos
Ofc. Rep. Lucie VanHecke
Serve Illinois Commission
Executive Director, Scott McFarland
Illinois Dept. Human Services/
Serve Illinois Elected Chair Commissioner
Frederick D. Nettles
Supt. of Schools-Wethersfield
, Shane Kazubowski
Principal, Jeremiah Johnston
Supt. of Schools-Kewanee, Dr. Chris Sullens
,Principal, Jason Anderson
Mayor Steve Looney
Reps. from Black Hawk College and other local agencies.

"Helping one child at at time"