Education Enrichment Institute (EEI)

In order to help sustain the growth and expansion of the Education Enrichment Institute (EEI), the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund awarded a grant to the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

            The EEI is a unique after school tutoring program that provides one-to-one tutoring sessions to 125 students annually from six area school districts. Twenty retired IHM Sisters give students undivided attention in specific academic areas, and are so grateful to be able to continue their ministry in education.

             “Students come to the EEI for one-to-one sessions [mostly] because they are behind in their studies. Where ever they are in their studies, where ever they come from… we help them develop their skills and help them move on,” said Sister St. Monica Costello, Director of the EEI. “We work with students who have special needs, and those who have come from other countries… and we make it work by being very adaptable.”

            The IHM Sisters have always believed that a student’s financial situation should not exclude them from receiving the educational assistance they need to achieve maximum academic growth. In response, the EEI Scholarship Program was created to assist students who have the desire to learn, but who are not able to afford supplemental education.

            “We are now able to offer every child a partial scholarship, and a few full scholarships,” Sister St. Monica said. During the 2008-2009 academic year 90 out of 125 students received some amount of tuition assistance to attend the EEI, the most in the programs 20 year history.

            As director of the Education Enrichment Institute (EEI) for nearly 10 years, Sister St. Monica can easily recall moments of joy for parents when they receive a call that their son or daughter will receive a partial scholarship for after school tutoring.

            “Recently a concerned mother brought her child to the Institute. After an assessment test, it was evident that the child was intelligent, interested in learning, and was only slightly below grade level,” said Sister St. Monica. The tuition assistance allowed the child to attend tutoring sessions, and in a short time they made remarkable progress in regular school classes.

The Educational Enrichment Institute (EEI) remains a key component in the academic success of many children in Northeastern Pennsylvania.