Wendy,

 

You hit the nail on the head when you indicated that students need to be
provided with supports that address all the barriers in their lives, if
we are to maximize the potential of Adult Ed.  Here in Allegheny County,
we are fortunate to have a plethora of services available to
ex-offenders as well as the rest of our Adult Ed population.
Additionally,  problem solving and self-advocacy should be part of what
we teach learners, so that they can use these skills in supporting their
children and themselves, after they leave our programs.

 

Mary

 

Director, Adult Education & Workforce Development Programs

Allegheny Intermediate Unit

475 East Waterfront Drive

Homestead, PA 15120

412-394-5876

412-394-5835 fax

mary.mulroy at aiu3.net

 

________________________________

From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Jackson, Wendy
P.
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 2:50 PM
To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
Subject: RE: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 2, Issue 10

 

Thank you Mary and Colleen,

 

I was having nightmares that AE would make me see the world as a place I
could not leave my mark in. Boy would that be a downer! I have found
that this job needs my  "Pollyanna" attitude. They tend to laugh at me
as I tackle the next crusade, but they jump on board with me. Are there
other ways that we can give value to the GED received by ex-inmates? I
noticed a lot of programs mentioned in your post. They act jointly to
give the students a package that affects many areas of their life. I am
wondering what other opportunities are offered. Does this package
approach only work for ex-cons or are there other groups that achieve
more when treated with the addressing of many areas? Our program mostly
addresses academics only.

 

Wendy

 

Wendy Jackson

Roane County Adult Education

 

________________________________

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:21:35 -0500
From: "Mulroy, Mary" <mary.mulroy at aiu3.net>
Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 110] Re: Devaluing education
To: "The Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy Discussion List"
        <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
        <EE4EC6C2E4A7CE42A635E7340DC0E95C02C1D3F3 at aiucoexch1.aiu3.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Wendy,

Here in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) we have an Adult Education Program
in the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) serving about 500 inmates per year.
It is a voluntary program and inmates who do not have a diploma are able
to work toward obtaining a GED; inmates who do have a diploma or who
have obtained a GED are able to enroll in our computer literacy program
which incorporates a life/job readiness skills curriculum.  It includes
a component focused on producing a portfolio which includes a resume,
sample pre and post interview letters, and work products created by the
learner.  Our family literacy program also addresses early childhood
literacy and parenting issues, particularly related to separation of
inmates and their children.   We have also developed a program to train
inmates to tutor other inmates and provide the tutors with extensive
professional development. 



Our program is part of a collaborative of programs housed both in and
outside the ACJ, which serve inmates while incarcerated and upon
re-entry to the community.  Programs include shelters, D & A treatment
programs, MH services, Fatherhood Programs, and programs for female
offenders, to name a few.   Our adult education program has organized
job/resource fairs within the ACJ which connect inmates with future
employers and services they may need when they are released.  We offer
information to employers about financial incentives available to them
when they hire ex-offenders and connect inmates with resources to assist
them in working toward expunging their criminal records, in cases where
that is possible. 



In answer to your question, I believe that the GED in combination with
the support that inmates need to transition successfully to the
community can be very valuable.  Actually, preparing for and passing the
GED can be a very empowering experience.  For some who may not have had
many successes in their lives, it opens a world of possibilities.  Many
learners tell us that they would never have had whatever it takes to
enroll in and complete a GED prep course while living in the community.
But the experience while incarcerated has taught them a lot about
discipline, perseverance, their own abilities and the desire to be more
than they have been.    For some, it can be a life-changing experience.
The credential itself is a gateway to further training/education.  Our
local community college, CCAC, offers a free college course to anyone in
the county who passes the GED.  Learners are encouraged to connect with
CCAC to explore career options and training.  We have had inmate tutors
who started out in our GED prep program, leave ACJ, and based on their
educational and tutoring experience, enroll in a college program to
prepare for a career in education.  In regard to employment, a GED or HS
diploma is a minimum criteria for even entry level jobs.   We have
developed relationships with employers willing to hire ex-offenders, and
that is very important connection.  An inmate's ability to maintain that
job has a great deal to do with future success in the transition process
and moving forward on a career path.



The success of an ex-offender depends on a myriad of factors.  The GED
is just one of the tools in his/her toolbox in preparing to transition,
but without the GED, the possibility for success is limited. 



Mary Mulroy

Director, Adult Education & Workforce Development Programs

Allegheny Intermediate Unit

475 East Waterfront Drive

Homestead, PA 15120

412-394-5876

412-394-5835 fax

mary.mulroy at aiu3.net



________________________________

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:33:23 -0500
From: "Colleen Krause" <Colleen.Krause at theirc.org>
Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 110] Re: GED
To: <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
        <B61AD3C3DE12BF468208A423DDDB36B003EC49C7 at EXCHANGE2.theirc.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Wendy,



I appreciate the passion and heart-felt desire to help your clients in
creating a better life for themselves...  Certainly, none of us can
expect the GED to completely turn someone's life around.  Rather, this
could be viewed as the first of many steps in living a positive,
productive, fulfilling life.  There is never one pivotal moment in our
lives that defines us-I see it more as a series of experiences that
affect us in positive and negative ways...  We take these experiences to
mean something about who we are, what we can or can't have, whether we
are worthy or unworthy of things (love, success, acceptance).  Earning a
GED is a great opportunity for our students to begin (or continue)
redefining their self-concept or self-perception.   After they have that
paper in hand, they will continue to be confronted with decisions- the
great news is that we have infinite choices...  the challenge is that we
are never "finished" growing.  Perhaps we can present this to our
students in a way that instills hope for the future and a desire to
become a life-long learner?





Warm regards,



Colleen Krause

Program Manager, Community & Family Strengthening

International Rescue Committee
5348 University Avenue, Suite 205 B
San Diego, CA 92105

Phone: (619) 641-7510, ext. 242 

FAX:    (619) 641-7520

E-mail:  Colleen.Krause at theIRC.org <mailto:Colleen.Krause at theIRC.org>  

www.theIRC.org <http://www.theirc.org/>



'Building a life of refugee success through education'





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