On May 17, District 2 celebrated a quarter century of Project CARE -- 25 years and hundreds of mentors volunteering to help BSD2 students refine skills they’ve been taught by their classroom teachers!

Project CARE has resumed this meaningful work in person, but it faced unique challenges throughout the COVID pandemic. So the 2022 Project CARE Appreciation was special thanks to those mentors who stuck it out and worked remotely with our teachers and students.

During the celebration, Project CARE mentors Nancy Budnik and Eva Knightly (pictured to the right) were recognized for volunteering since the beginning of the program 25 years ago at Tioga. Also, mentors Deb Roan and Tim Rounds were recognized for 20 years of service, George Reinhold was recognized for 15 years, and Theresa O'Connor and Carol Rounds were recognized for 10 years.

Bensenville Community Public Library, which hosted the celebration, and Semblex Corporation, were also recognized for their strong support of Project CARE throughout the years. So were Elmhurst University and College of DuPage, as dozens of BSD2 teachers have been introduced to the District over the years by serving as mentors to earn community service hours or meet student teaching requirements.

"We are grateful to all of our mentors, now and over the last 25 years," said Lara Schwarz, Project CARE Director. "You gave the students of BEnsenville School District 2 the tools to become successful learners. The students are achieving greater success because of your commitment to them."