WARE ADULT EDUCATION CENTER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
STRATEGIC PLAN
JANUARY 31, 2004
PREPARED BY
SHARON FEENEY - WARE ADULT EDUCATION CENTER
THE LITERACY PROJECT
AND PHYLLIS ROBINSON, COORDINATOR OF COMMUNITY PLANNING
WARE ADULT EDUCATION CENTER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
STRATEGIC PLAN
The
Ware Community Partnership will facilitate agency collaboration in order to
improve individual and family access to needed services in Ware and neighboring
communities.
WARE ADULT EDUCATION CENTER AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
STRATEGIC PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Ware ABE strategic community
planning process was able to tap into, and has every hope of building upon the
rich legacy of community development initiative in Ware that has strong and
diverse roots of support.
The
Players and the Process
The public schools, organized
business interests, financial institutions, local and regional government,
regional development and planning bodies, human service agencies, public health
institutions and a contingent of talented, knowledgeable individuals are
working together to make a positive contribution to this process. They are doing this because it is
their process. It is their
community. They are doing this because they see how Adult Basic Education
services can play a humble, though valuable, role in community development as
it relates to education, job readiness and workforce development, harm
reduction, and a generalized increase of possibilities, opportunities, and
hope.
Building on the groundwork laid
during the Needs and Assets Assessment phase, the Partnership met on January
30, 2004 to lay down the focus areas of the strategic plan.
The
Plan
The Ware community strategic plan
has two "Service Delivery, Coordination and Integration" goals, the
first with four objectives, the second with two objectives and one Partnership
Development goal with two objectives.
Service Delivery,
Coordination and Integration Goal One: A well-connected network will
provide excellent educational services to Ware residents from infancy through
adulthood
At risk and rural under-educated
youth, students needing pre-employment training and links to job opportunities
and higher education, and increasingly literate parents are the members of the
Ware community receiving special focus under this goal heading.
At
risk youth
Based on the proud determination of
the greater Ware community and its public schools to increase the retention and
graduation rate of the public high schools, this objective will build on WAEC's
successful approach to working with the guidance departments in area schools.
The plan proposes to have the partnership work to support in-school options
with the public schools doing drop-out prevention for at-risk youth, and have
the WAEC implement effective teen services to meet the needs of out-of-school
youth. More research is needed about Best Practices for prevention models and
additional staff and funds will be necessary to implement special programs to
address this need.
Students
needing pre-employment education and links to jobs and higher education
Building on WAEC's working
relationship with the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation who have
been offering well received job readiness and entrepreneurial workshops as well
as introductory computer courses to WAEC's adult (and young adult) learners,
and recent piloted projects that have resulted in WAEC students being able to
further their education, WAEC, in the first year of the plan, will organize
field trips and guest speakers to expose students to employment options and
local educational opportunities.
In later years of the plan, career education classes will be offered in
collaboration with the Quaboag Middle School as well as identifying
apprenticeship opportunities for WAEC students. A main resource that is needed is further collaboration with
the Department of Education and Training to close the gaps in services to rural
areas and improved collaborations between WAEC and local high schools in the
development of a pre-employment curriculum. Additional funding will be needed
for field trips and guest speakers.
Access
for rural under-educated youth and adults
Transportation, childcare,
awareness of WAEC services and the mindset arising out of rural isolation are major barriers to
youth and adults taking advantage of educational opportunities in Ware. A piloted outreach position has helped
cultivate information exchanges within the community to address this need. Action steps proposed in the plan include
using various media to increase awareness, continuing to meet with providers
and improve communication about educational options and lobbying for continuing
support by the Town of Ware to increase funding of the outreach position which
they now fund at 50%.
Teen
and low literacy adult parents
WAEC has collaborative
relationships with child related service providers in the area, including the
newly created Ware Family Center who see the need for parents to be more
effective role models for their children.
Ware has the highest rate of teen births in the county and parents are
juggling school, work and child care.
Without an Even Start program available, there is a need for parenting
classes, services for new mothers and ways to reduce isolation. WAEC plans to
advocate for parenting classes that are available and local and will increase
over time the parents ability to interact in their child's schooling. Funding will be needed for planning
parenting classes that have been created from a study of "best
practices".
Service Delivery,
Coordination and Integration Goal Two: The Ware Community Partnership will
make appropriate service referrals to meet the needs of Ware residents in an
efficient manner.
The objectives of this goal speak
to the strengths of the WAEC and its partnership's track record of
collaboration and communication and the need for service providers to meet and
compile and disseminate information and to research best practices and to
explore diverse funding possibilities.
Partnership Development Goal:
The Ware Community Partnership will become a strong voice in community planning
and action
The Ware Community Partnership
plans to maintain its organizational structure and support its member agencies
and is considering the establishment of a group(s) that meet regularly to
address the coordination of community activities and the need to close gaps in
necessary services such as transportation, housing, substance abuse, and
employment assistance.
Action steps will include the recruitment of new members as needed,
monitoring progress and dividing into smaller units to address particular
issues. Regularly scheduled
partnership meetings, a place and time to meet and continued support from the
community will be needed in addition to the establishment of a facilitator of
service coordination position.