About us
Learning for Every Stage of Life
Illinois Learning Center is an independent educational resource and publishing platform created to support children, teens, adults, families, homeschoolers, and educators with practical, meaningful learning opportunities.
We believe education extends far beyond textbooks and classrooms. Learning also happens when a child develops independence, a teen learns how to navigate real-world responsibilities, a family explores a new subject together, or an adult gains information that helps them make a more informed decision.
Illinois Learning Center brings together educational books, literacy publications, free resources, homeschool support, literacy activities, learning challenges, health and wellness education, art-based learning, practical life-skills resources, and educational materials for adults and families—all in one growing learning community.
Our Educational Philosophy
At Illinois Learning Center, we believe learning should prepare people for life, not simply help them complete an assignment.
Our philosophy is built around several core ideas:
Learning should be practical.
Academic knowledge is important, but learners also need opportunities to develop communication, responsibility, problem-solving, decision-making, organization, independence, and other skills they will use throughout life.
Learning should build on a strong foundation.
New concepts are most effective when learners first understand the skills and information that come before them. Our educational materials are designed to introduce foundational knowledge first and then build toward greater understanding and independence.
Learning should grow with the learner.
Age can provide helpful guidance, but every learner develops differently. Whenever appropriate, Illinois Learning Center encourages progression based on readiness, ability, and demonstrated understanding rather than age alone.
Learning should be accessible and flexible.
Education happens in traditional schools, homeschools, libraries, homes, communities, and everyday experiences. Resources should be useful in different learning environments and adaptable to different families and learners.
Learning should encourage curiosity.
Children and adults are more likely to continue learning when they are given opportunities to explore, ask questions, discover new interests, and make meaningful connections.
Learning should support independence.
As young people grow, they should have increasing opportunities to practice real responsibilities and develop the confidence to do more for themselves.
Learning should encourage growth—not competition.
Progress does not need to look the same for everyone. We believe accomplishments should reflect individual growth, effort, developing skills, participation, and meaningful achievement rather than comparison with others.
Our Literacy Publications
Illinois Learning Center publishes literacy-focused publications created for different stages of learning.
Illinois Kids Connect provides children with age-appropriate stories, educational features, activities, games, and opportunities to read, discover, and explore new ideas.
Illinois Teen Times gives teen readers their own publication with stories, informational features, activities, games, resources, and topics designed for an older audience.
Illinois Parent Press provides a parent-focused space for educational information, family learning ideas, helpful resources, and topics that support parents and caregivers as they guide learning at home and beyond.
Together, these publications are part of Illinois Learning Center's commitment to encouraging reading, literacy, curiosity, family learning, and continued education outside of traditional assignments.
Downloadable and printable editions also make it possible for families, homeschool groups, classrooms, schools, libraries, and community organizations to print and share selected materials with the people they serve.
What You’ll Find at Illinois Learning Center
Illinois Learning Center offers and continues to develop resources across a growing range of educational areas.
These include educational books for children and teens, Illinois Kids Connect, Illinois Teen Times, Illinois Parent Press, homeschool resources, free printable materials, literacy activities, writing resources, practical life-skills education, health and wellness learning, art-based educational activities, and practical resources for adults and families.
Illinois Learning Center also offers participation-based learning opportunities such as the Reading Challenge, Geography Challenge, and Move More Challenge. These programs are designed to encourage learners to participate, practice, explore, and build positive learning habits without turning education into a competition.
Illinois Health Classes
Illinois Health Classes expands the Learning Center's educational mission into health, movement, and wellness education.
Resources are designed to help families and homeschool learners explore age-appropriate topics related to healthy habits, movement, physical wellness, personal development, and everyday health education.
The goal is not to replace medical care or professional instruction, but to provide families with an organized educational environment where reliable learning resources can be explored and incorporated into a broader homeschool or family-learning experience.
Illinois Art Classes
Illinois Art Classes gives learners opportunities to explore creativity while connecting art with learning, self-expression, observation, pattern, and other educational concepts.
Resources may include traditional creative activities as well as areas such as therapeutic art, geometric art, mandalas, and projects that connect creativity with other academic or developmental skills.
Art does not have to be about creating the most technically perfect finished product. Within Illinois Learning Center, art can also be a way to explore ideas, practice skills, experiment, express yourself, and experience the learning process.
Learning Through Writing
Writing is another important part of the Illinois Learning Center mission.
Our developing writing resources are designed to help young learners understand that writing is a process that can be explored one skill at a time. Rather than simply telling a child to write a story, resources can help learners investigate how characters, settings, problems, ideas, details, and other story elements work together.
Through playful educational themes and guided resources, children can gradually develop the skills needed to move from individual writing activities toward larger projects—including the experience of creating a book of their own.
Publishing With a Purpose
Whether we are creating a workbook, literacy publication, printable resource, learning challenge, health resource, art activity, writing lesson, or family guide, the purpose remains the same: to create educational material that gives readers something useful to learn, practice, explore, or apply.
Our publishing work is designed to serve different ages and different learning environments. Some resources provide structured instruction, while others encourage reading, curiosity, creativity, independent learning, practical skill development, movement, personal exploration, or family participation.
By offering both published materials and freely accessible resources, Illinois Learning Center aims to make useful educational content available in more than one format and to more than one type of learner.
Supporting Lifelong Learning
Illinois Learning Center is not intended only for children.
Our adult and family resources focus on practical information that can help people learn, prepare, navigate important situations, understand available options, explore psychology and human behavior, develop new skills, and make more informed decisions.
Illinois Learning Center may also feature selected books and educational resources from authors whose work complements its broader educational mission.
The goal is to create a place where learning can continue through every stage of life.
About the Founder
Illinois Learning Center was founded by Jennifer Driskill-Waters, an author, independent publisher, and education professional whose background includes serving as a Director of Education, court-appointed child advocate, former certified mediator, paraprofessional, and Certified Nursing Assistant.
Her education and professional development have also included training in areas such as instructional design, child psychology, research methods and statistics, user experience research, life coaching, therapeutic arts, meditation, digital well-being, neuroplasticity, health and wellness education, movement instruction, and other areas related to learning and personal development.
Jennifer writes under the pen names Genevieve Steinhardt, Vienna Stein, and Vivian J. Valtore.
Through Genevieve Steinhardt, she develops educational books and resources primarily for children and teens. Vienna Stein is associated with family and court-related educational works, while Vivian J. Valtore expands the adult side of the Learning Center through selected books focused on psychology, human behavior, personal development, health experiences, and practical adult learning.
Jennifer also serves as an Illinois Reads Ambassador, reflecting her continued commitment to literacy, reading, and educational opportunity.
The Novel Tea Publishing powers and manages Illinois Learning Center and its educational publishing projects. As part of that mission, The Novel Tea Publishing may also integrate selected works from Vivian J. Valtore when those books provide educational value that complements the Learning Center's goals.
Jennifer's approach to Illinois Learning Center is centered on a simple principle: educational resources should have a meaningful purpose and give learners something they can actually use.
Our Commitment
Illinois Learning Center will continue developing resources that are practical, thoughtful, family-friendly, accessible, participation-focused, and designed with the learner in mind.
Some resources—including selected printables, educational tools, learning activities, and downloadable editions of Illinois Learning Center publications—are offered free of charge, while books, merchandise, educational materials, and recommended products may be available through outside retailers.
Participation in Illinois Learning Center activities and challenges is intended to encourage learning, exploration, consistency, and personal growth. Learners do not need to compete with one another for their participation to be meaningful.
Learn something useful. Build something meaningful. Keep growing.
Important Information
Illinois Learning Center is an independent educational resource and publishing platform. It is not a school, accrediting organization, law firm, medical provider, mental health provider, or government agency. Resources are provided for educational and informational purposes and are not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, treatment, legal guidance, or other professional services when those services are appropriate.