November 2003 Board Report Charboneau Learning Center

The Charboneau Learning Center

A Program of The Literacy Project

15 Bank Row, Suite D

Greenfield, MA 01302

413-774-3935

www.literacyproject.org/charboneau.html

March 2004

Total Enrollment: 39 Number on Waiting List: 18 Total Attendees: 33

11 days of classes Class Contact Hours: 473.75 43.0 hours per day (about 18 learners in classes per day)

Intakes 7 Intakes that Attended: 0

Attendance Statistics

More than 12 Hours: 14 Between 0 and 12 Hours: 19 Enrolled with No Attendance: 6

More than 24 Hours: 9 Between 2 and 12 Hours: 19

Enrollment Statistics (Numbers and categories reflect self-reports of enrolled individuals)

Enrollment by Town Enrollment by Age Enrollment by Referral Seeking GED?

Bernardston 2 16.00 -- 17.99 11 Beacon Programs 1 Yes 37

Charlemont 1 18.00 -- 24.99 12 Career Center/DET 1 No 2

Court/Probation 5

Conway 1 25.00 -- 44.99 6 39

DSS/Welfare 3

Deerfield 1 45.00 -- 59.99 9 FCAC 2

Greenfield 24 60.00 + 1 Leadership Training 1

Montague 5 39 Library 1

Mass Rehab 2

Northfield 3

Montague Site 1

Rowe 1 NELCWIT 1

Sunderland 1 Newspaper 1

39 Public School 2

Walk-in 2

Word of Mouth 16

By Native Language Enrollment by Race Enrollment by Gender

English 36 African American 1 Female 24

Russian 1 Hispanic or Latino 2 Male 15

Spanish 2 White 36 39

39 39

Class Activities

March was a short month for classes given that we were shut down for agency development and site development

weeks. Attendance did drop off a little bit especially in the Evening Class. We didn't admit any of our intakes to

classes in March, but we have moved 11 people from the waiting list (which continued to grow all month) and offered

them seats in classes for April.

Louise's morning class finished the month by setting goals for the next cycle. They have all been working very hard

on basic math skills and some of them are ready to start taking practice GED tests under controlled conditions. They

are doing lots of writing exercises with sentencing and paragraphing with an eye toward attempting the essay

format. Topics covered this month were "The Patriot Act and Privacy", "The Human Body and Germs", The Middle

Ages and The Renaissance.

Joe's morning pre-GED class finished the History of Scientific Thought Unit by completing and updating the website.

The last page we posted was about the Classical Ancient History of the Western World. All that remains is for it to be

published in booklet form. They also kept busy with Bestworks related curricula focusing on the math and science

of bacteria and food borne diseases. This will continue into April. We had another Cooking Day with battling recipes

for Spanish Rice. (It almost developed into dueling spatulas). A special presentation from the Deborah Schey of the

Career Center finished off the month and cycle in the " Job Readiness" mode.

The Evening GED class has been very focused on Math with writing and resumes being a little bit on hold due to

scheduling, events, and snow days. They served as a focus group for Ken Johnston of the Career Center who is

putting the finishing touches on a brochure targeted at teens considering leaving school.

Successes

Rubbish Removal System Implemented

It took some doing, but Louise finally located a company that will haul Charboneau and Admin garbage, rubbish, and trash to somewhere

where we won't be buried in it. This is a good thing.

Presentation to the Franklin County United Way

Marguerite Badger and Dustin King of the Morning Class, and Sheryl Luscier of the Evening class testified in from of the United Way

Board on behalf of The Literacy Project's funding request. We really appreciated that, and they enjoyed a nice little "Thank You" supper

at Wolfie's in South Deerfield.

Thanks also to Kevin from the Board!

Job Readiness/Soft Skills Presentation by Deborah Schey

The workshop was entitled "Getting out of Your Own Way."

It incorporated poetry, visual thinking, critical analysis, and lots of fun into helping people gain strategies to stop negative, obsessive

thinking.

The same strategies can help people from being overwhelmed with negative, stressful emotions.

We also had lots of practice filling out forms.

Bestworks Culinary Arts Graduation!

Sarah Hamel, Jeff Pourier, and Joseph DeLisle all successfully completed an intensive professional Culinary Arts Training at Franklin

Tech with Chef Ben Pike. Their final project was to prepare and serve a full course meal featuring an exquisite presentation of Chicken

Cordon Bleu (or stuffed zucchini for their vegetarian friends).

For their graduation they were recognized by Chef Pike of Franklin Tech, and by Jim Parcells of the Career Center. They will receive

more special recognition at Charboneau when classes reconvene in April.

3 GED's

Katrina Fisher-Crowley got her GED right before delivering her first child. So did Michelle Carey. We wish both of them (along with their

new families) all the best. Angela Ruest has a new family to care for, but has realistic plans to attend GCC.

Former Learner and Recent GED Grad is honored by the First Lady of the Commonwealth

Crystal Cummings who was recently recognized at the FCAC annual meeting was pictured on the front page of the Recorder with her

son Jacob.

This time she was being honored for her work on the Poverty Walk. Crystal is becoming a forceful and outspoken advocate for change.

Professional Development Activities

3/10/04 joe Bringing the Culture of Work to the GED classroom 1.50

Offered at A Conference for Workforce Development Professionals: Building Skills~Sharing Connections at the Worcester Centrum.

3/10/04 louise Integrating Curriculum: ABE and Employability 1.50

Offered at A Conference for Workforce Development Professionals: Building Skills~Sharing Connections at the Worcester Centrum.

/10/04 louise Integrating ABE and Training 1.50

Offered at A Conference for Workforce Development Professionals: Building Skills~Sharing Connections at the Worcester Centrum.

3/10/04 joe Effective Outreach and Assessment 1.50

Offered at A Conference for Workforce Development Professionals: Building Skills~Sharing Connections at the Worcester Centrum.

3/10/04 Louise Effective Outreach and Assessment 1.50

Offered at A Conference for Workforce Development Professionals: Building Skills~Sharing Connections at the Worcester Centrum.

3/22/04 joe Community Planning and Strategic Planning 3.50