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20th Anniversary · 2007–2027

Celebrating 20 Years of iLearn Schools

Date
Thursday, September 16, 2027
Venue
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Tickets
From $350

342 days until gala day

iLearn Schools 20th Anniversary, 2007 to 2027

Faces of 20 Years

  • Four students sitting together on the grass outside school
  • A graduate applauding at commencement
  • An elementary student playing bongo drums in music class
  • A student dunking a basketball in the school gym
  • Three young students sharing a tablet with headphones

Save the date

Thursday, September 16, 2027

342Days
05Hours
43Minutes
15Seconds

until gala day

Twenty years in numbers

6,500+students every year

  • 5Arts & Science Charter Schools
  • 22Campuses
  • 2States
  • 1,200+Faculty and staff
  • 1,000+Alumni

Twenty years of growth

Students by year, 2007 to 20252007: 290; 2011: 960; 2013: 1,580; 2015: 2,160; 2016: 3,087; 2019: 4,388; 2025: 6,50004,0008,0002007201120132015201620192025Bergen opens1Passaic opens2Paterson opens3First graduating class4Hudson opens5Bronx opens66,500+students
  1. 2007 Bergen opens
  2. 2011 Passaic opens
  3. 2013 Paterson opens
  4. 2015 First graduating class
  5. 2016 Hudson opens
  6. 2019 Bronx opens
Twenty years of growth
YearStudentsStaffAlumni
2007290380
20119601390
20131,5802850
20152,16039052
20163,087442155
20194,388675489
20256,5001,2001,000

Who we serve

Our schools serve high-need communities with rich cultural diversity. Equity and opportunity guide everything we do.

72of every 100

students come from low-income households

  • English Language Learners12%
  • Special education10%

Students may be counted in more than one group.

Programs and services
ProgramShare of students
Low income72%
English Language Learners12%
Special education10%

Students by ethnicity

Students by ethnicity
GroupShare
Hispanic75%
Black11%
White10%
Asian4%

Twenty years.Twenty-two campuses.One night to celebrate.

In 2007, we opened one K–5 school in Garfield, New Jersey, with 290 students and an idea: that families deserve a real choice in where their children learn.

Students in lab coats working together at a science bench.

Twenty years later, that one school has grown into five Arts & Science Charter Schools with 22 STEAM-focused campuses in Bergen, Passaic, Paterson, Hudson, and the Bronx, serving more than 6,500 students every year.

A charter school is never guaranteed a second decade. Reaching twenty years is the result of families who chose us again every year, educators who stayed, students who showed us what was possible, and partners who believed in the work early.

On September 16, 2027, we bring all of them into one room.

From one school to a network

In 2007, we opened one school with 290 students. Twenty years later, we are a network of five schools in two states. This is how we grew.

  1. 2007
    Bergen

    Bergen opens in Garfield

    Bergen Arts & Science Charter School opens its doors in Garfield, NJ: one K–5 campus, 290 students, and 38 staff and faculty.

    Elementary students writing at a classroom desk
  2. 2011
    Passaic

    Passaic opens

    Passaic Arts & Science Charter School opens. Today it serves students from kindergarten through grade 12 in Passaic and Clifton.

    +670 students since 2007

    A student presenting an ocean habitat project
  3. 2013
    Paterson

    Paterson opens

    Paterson Arts & Science Charter School opens. It now offers a full K–12 STEAM program, including the Silk City Primary campus. Our network reaches 1,580 students.

    +1,290 students since 2007

    Two students in athletics shirts walking through the gym
  4. 2015

    Our first graduates

    iLearn Schools is established to support our growing network, and our first graduating class of 52 students goes on to college and careers. We serve 2,160 students.

    +1,870 students since 2007

    A graduate in cap and gown at commencement
  5. 2016
    Hudson

    Hudson opens in Kearny

    Hudson Arts & Science Charter School opens in Kearny, NJ. Our network passes 3,000 students.

    +2,797 students since 2007

    Two students examining plants in a science lesson
  6. 2019
    Bronx

    The Bronx opens

    Bronx Arts & Science Charter School opens, our first school in New York. We serve 4,388 students with 675 staff and faculty.

    +4,098 students since 2007

    Young students working on tablets in class
  7. 2022

    Fifteen years together

    We celebrate 15 years together at our 15th anniversary gala.

  8. 2025

    6,500 students and 1,000 alumni

    6,500+ students, 1,200+ staff, and more than 1,000 alumni contributing to their communities.

    +6,210 students since 2007

  9. 2027

    Twenty years

    Five schools, 22 campuses, two states. We celebrate together on Thursday, September 16, 2027.

iLearn Schools 20th Anniversary Gala

The Evening

Join us for a reception, dinner, dancing, and a program honoring the people who built these twenty years: our founders, our alumni, our educators, and the community partners who stood with us. The night includes a silent auction and a first look at what the next twenty years hold.

Date
Thursday, September 16, 2027
Venue
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Tickets
Individual ticket $350 · Table of ten $3,000
A graduate greeting families along the commencement aisle

Honoring our founders, alumni, educators, and community partners. Honorees will be announced.

Gala Committee

Honorary Chair
Dr. Nihat Guvercin
Gala Chair
Mrs. Beanne DeGuzman
Program & Logistics
Ms. Nieve Petrie
Sponsorship Lead
Ms. Jamila Jendayi
Sponsorship
Ms. Angie Espiritusanto
Alumni & Family
Ms. Gabby Meighan
Student & Community Volunteers
Ms. Fatma Dogan
Journal Book & Ads
Ms. Cristylee Nagelbush, Mr. Frank Scandale

Celebrate with us

All proceeds benefit the iLearn Schools Scholarship Fund, which supports our graduating seniors as they begin college. For many of our students, they are the first in their family to go.

Ways to take part

  • Become a sponsor

    Recognition throughout the evening and in the Gala Journal.

    Email Beanne DeGuzman
  • Reserve a seat or a table

    Individual ticket $350. Table of ten $3,000.

  • Place a journal ad

    Congratulate a graduate, honor an educator, or promote your business. Full page $1,500. Half page $1,000. Quarter page $500. Business card $200.

    Email Beanne DeGuzman
  • Donate an auction item

    Experiences, services, and goods are all welcome.

    Email Beanne DeGuzman

iLearn Schools is a registered 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID 47-3603519). Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

The venue

Liberty Science Center sits on the Jersey City waterfront, overlooking the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline. As a home for learning and discovery, it is a fitting place to celebrate a STEAM network and to look ahead to the next 20 years of iLearn Schools.

Plan your visit

Address
222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, NJ

Updates

Check back for updates as details are confirmed.

Questions? Contact Beanne DeGuzman at [email protected] or (201) 773-9140.