Students involved with the Student Education Association donated $500 in toys to the Children’s Learning Center’s school age after-school program.

Diana Twomey, public relations officer for the SEA, said the project was made possible by a $1,000 grant received by the Illinois Education Association.

The other $500 received from the grant will go toward sponsoring families in need during the holidays, Twomey said.

The toys are split between three locations: Lincoln, 220 E. Sunset Place; Jefferson, 211 McCormick Drive and Little John, 1121 School St. elementary schools in DeKalb, where the CLC has sites serving students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Some of the toys given include board games, bouncy balls and paint sets.

Twomey said her own experience gives her an understanding of the importance of these toys.

She said she is not just an executive on the board of the SEA but also works for Lincoln at the CLC after-school program. Because of these jobs, she said she knows how much the toys mean to the kids.

SEA meets once a month for meetings on topics that interest all education students. Topics range from ideas for putting a portfolio together to behavior management in the classroom.

The SEA has about 100 members who are either students in the College of Education or are actively seeking a teacher certification degree.

The organization will have a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in DuSable Hall, Room 252, with the principal of Lincoln Elementary School, Tom Burski, coming to answer questions and inform students what to expect in an interview.

The meeting is open to all students and especially to those in the College of Education and those students seeking their teacher certification, Twomey said.