Academy of Hope News

DC Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

2014-10-21T09:36:00.000-04:00

Across the country, Sept. 22-28, 2014 was recognized as Adult Education and Family Literacy Awareness Week. In DC, through a series of events and an essay contest, DC-AFLC spent the week raising public awareness of literacy issues, providing critical information to stakeholders and policy-makers, and advocating for increased access to relevant programs.

DC-AFLC is a coalition of more than a dozen local adult literacy providers, advocates, and charter schools united in its mission to improve quality and access to adult and family basic education in the District. Over the past 2 years, the DC-AFLC has realized impressive victories in advocating for increased funding and awareness of adult literacy in the District.

The week started with a panel discussion on the recently enacted Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a landmark piece of recent legislation that takes important steps toward improving the Federal government’s workforce development system. The expert panelists took a deeper look at the local implications of the law on adult literacy, youth, and workforce development and addressed the numerous questions that still remain.

Later in the week, over 200 Adult Education advocates and adult learners gathered at the Wilson Building, home of the District’s City Council, to discuss the importance of adult education programs. Students heard from a panel about the impact of low adult literacy on other social issues, received advocacy training and then divided into groups for meetings with Councilmembers and their staff. Several students had the opportunity to share their stories directly with Councilmembers, including Yvette Alexander, Anita Bonds, Muriel Bowser, and Kenyan McDuffie. Advocates also took the opportunity to thank Councilmembers for their past efforts on adult literacy and to build deeper awareness of the need for increased services. With more than 60,000 adults in the District lacking a high school diploma, the advocates pressed Councilmembers to show their support for adult learners moving forward through new programming, including the creation of an Innovation Fund for nonprofits to pilot proven best practice models in serving adult learners.

Finally, the week wrapped-up with a “Big Tent” meeting of current and potential DC-AFLC members. During the meeting, members reflected on recent work, set priorities for the coming year, and announced the winners of the essay contest. Contest participants were asked to write a letter to a DC Mayoral candidate explaining why they came back to school and how they hoped an education would impact their lives and those of their families. Roughly 70 essays were submitted, and students from Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School, Carlos Rosario Public Charter School, Washington Literacy Center, Briya Public Charter School and So Others Might Eat (SOME) took home first place prizes! In her winning essay, Academy of Hope student Dorris wrote, “I will stop at nothing when it comes to my success. I’ve learned that time waits for nobody. I’ve waited long enough, it’s time to strive, time to prosper, it’s time for me to live to my fullest potential, not only for my daughter and father, but finally I’m ready to do better, for me.”

For more information on DC Adult and Family Literacy Week, check out the following links:

http://www.carlosrosario.org/celebrating-dc-adult-education-family-literacy-week/

http://www.dcfpi.org/the-path-to-a-better-job-lets-start-with-adult-literacy

http://www.aohdc.org/GetInvolved/Beanadvocate/AdultEducationFamilyLiteracyWeek2014/tabid/169/Default.aspx

A Call, A Community and a Commencement Speech: The Story of Academy of Hope

2014-05-16T16:03:00.001-04:00

By Mary Willson, Communication Intern

A phone call can represent many life changes. The death of a loved one, the arrival of the youngest member of a family, the return of an old friend. Or, the start of something no one can imagine.

Academy of Hope was started when Marja answered a phone call from Gayle, a friend from church asking if she wanted to help teach GED students. The two had no idea that, this very conversation would be the roots for an adult charter school serving over 500 students a year, thriving 30 years later.

Looking back on the phone call, Marja recalls she was waiting for it subconsciously. She was ready for her calling. She just wasn't expecting it to come so literally.

Having taught school before in Minnesota, Marja was passionate about education but her teaching license didn't transfer to Washington, DC where her family had relocated to join the Church of the Saviour.

The church is rooted in the mission of members going out in the world and making change. “Money, prestige, power isn't important. You need to follow your deepest desire to where it meets the pain of the world.” She explains the church is based on calling and mission, which seems fitting looking back on her journey.

She prayed about it, and joined Gayle, who was teaching through the Church’s job program, Jubilee Jobs. “She didn't want to do it alone anymore. So, now there were two of us.” The two rented a room in the Church’s apartment building for low-income community members. It was meant to be a guard room, but the building couldn't afford a guard. It was $50 rent.

Top: Marja, Gayle and first student, Linda.

Bottom: Marja and Gayle at the new building, built in 2007,

22 years after they started teaching together

Both teachers knew two students who wanted their GED’s. Their first class was those four, meeting three hours a day, four days a week. She reflects that they were like a family.

Word of mouth spread, and by their second year they had taught 19 students. But one of those original students became a co-founder, right along with her teachers. Linda Brown was the first Academy of Hope Graduate.

“I remember her saying ‘I just can’t wait to get off dole [government funding].’ Even though she had four young children, she made it to every class and did all her homework.” She would make up her own assignments. “She said one day, ‘why don’t I write a book report?’ A book report had never occurred to me!” Marja remembers with a laugh. There was no training program at that time to teach GED. “Linda was instrumental to learning how to teach GED.”

On her second try, she passed the test after 18 months working with Marja and Gayle. “She was a really good learner. She was a straight arrow, with nothing holding her back.”

After the excitement of getting Linda through the program, Gayle moved on to another mission. Marja expanded the school on her own, recruiting new students and teachers.

“I just worked day by day, caring for the people who were there.”

A memorable moment in the growth of the school came with a friend of the Church, a nuclear physicists helped Marja write a fundraising letter with the first computer she had ever seen. That was in 1986. The program was in the basement of that building for eight years.

The school has been called Academy of Hope since day 1, when Gayle came up with the name. Marja said “felt too hokey” to her. “But it has served us very well. It really has,” for one, starting with an “A” is good for search results, especially in the time of phone books. “One of my very memorable students, came here because of the “hope” in Academy of Hope. [The student] saw ‘hope’ and said that’s what I need, ‘hope’”. Marja thinks Oprah found the school in 2003 for the Angel Network Award through the name.

After 70 students were enrolled and 30 volunteers were teaching, Marja hired the first Executive Director. “It was always kind of step by step. This is what needs to be done now. Either back track and shrink, or meet the demand. So we wanted to grow.”

A major part of the school’s growth was friend Tom Brown. He left his career at the Labor Department to join The Hope as a full time teacher, working for free. “Without him I don’t think we would have made it. He was more than a cornerstone,” Marja explained reflecting on how having Tom to talk to and share in the daily challenges of the school was priceless.

While it may sound that Marja spent all her time at the school, she has a husband and three children as well. When asked about parenting while starting the school, she ponders and says “There’s no perfection in this life.” The family had always lived in a community based around church projects or her husband’s organization, Josephs House, a house serving homeless men and women suffering from AID’s.

“One day I came home and my son had a bandage on his head. He had fallen and hit is head on the corner of a dumpster when he was running in an alley. The nurse [at Josephs house] had just sewed it up. That’s when I realized I should be around more,” she says with a reminiscent smile on her face.

Marja and her husband are expecting their 4^th grandchild this year.

She has been a teacher for most of her adult life, and with Academy of Hope going on 29 years. It is apparent her passion for teaching goes beyond the classroom.

“I always thought that one of the things we need to offer is encouragement. That there is hope that something good can come out of all this effort. Education is a long and strenuous process, you just have to keep at it.

We want to be a school where all of us are both students and teachers care for each other because all of us need to be cared for.

If your students don’t feel that you care for them, they will not care for learning in your class. They will not care for their learning. They can’t. People need to feel the support. So you have to create that emotional connection for people to feel comfortable and valued.”

The funny thing is, Marja has touched dozens, if not hundreds of lives through her years of teaching. But she has never had a teacher touch her life.

“ I just came from such a different world. Teachers were stern, discouraging. My parents kept telling me I was smart but often teachers made us feel like only one of the students in the class was smart.” And that student Marja explains, wasn't her.

But her passion doesn't come from the past, it comes from a deep rooted appreciation of helping others.

“There’s no greater joy than being part of someone else’s success, it’s almost better than your own success! In your own success there’s pressure to succeed again, to keep growing. But It’s just pure joy being a coach or a teacher. Of course there are many challenges but I think life is meant to be challenging, and I have to keep reminding myself of that.”

Marja has seen the Academy of Hope grow from four to four-hundred.

“I’m concerned that the student will continue to receive the support that they need. As organizations grow, special needs must be taken. It’s a challenge to make a setting available for every student for the emotional needs to be met as well. Safe and encouraged,” she explains. But she sees the plus side in the career opportunities, social services and the opportunities that Academy of Hope will be able to give the students this coming year, as the school re-opens as a charter school.

Marja will keep helping others, no matter how big the school gets. She mentors young people from her church, babysits former student’s children and still tutors at the Hope.

Majra leading a walk for the homeless

“I really want to continue to be active in those kinds of ways, to be connected with striving people. It’s always been satisfying me with people who are pushing forward. I don’t think I’ll ever retire to a rocking chair.”

Marja will give the commencement speech at graduation in a few weeks. She is taking the task seriously, hoping that her words can reach a few graduates, which is nerve-racking for her despite how many lives she has already changed through her 30 year journey with Academy of Hope.

While asking about her future, Marja reflected on the Hope’s future beyond the physical growth. Her statement speaks for itself and will help guide the staff, students and volunteers as many transitions take place over the next few months.

“I hope that Academy of Hope will be a learning community that will not leave people behind but where both teachers and students will be encouraged to discover their gifts and put them to use.”

El Salvador child coffee worker starts specialty coffee roasting business in Washington, DC called Cafe Los Suenos (Coffee of Dreams)

2014-05-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

Mary Willson, Communication Intern

“The civil war was going on because the income inequality. The coffee plantation owners were making so much money and they were paying us only a couple cents.”

Carlos Payes started working for a coffee plantation when he was eight years old in rural El Salvador. In the midst of a violent civil war, he spent his days digging small holes in the harsh sun for twelve hours, making less than three dollars a day.

He reflects on the way of life in El Salvador while sitting with me in the tutoring space of Academy of Hope.. The juxtaposition between the pictures he is painting of his childhood to his modern life is striking.

Carlos demonstrates coffee
roasting at Academy of Hope

The clean cut man in a collared shirt sitting in front of me explaining his fair trade coffee business came to the United States nine years ago with not a dime in his pocket and not a word of English. He lived as his ancestors did a century ago with little change, in a village of five huts with no running water or electricity.

Escaping harsh conditions in EL Salvador is only the beginning of his story.

He dreamed of starting his own coffee business since he started working at the plantation. It seemed out of reach. “We didn’t have any money, any opportunities, not even a coffee plant other than one we kept in the house.”

He came to the US looking for a better economic situation. He started his new life in California before he heard of a thriving restaurant scene in DC, he moved and worked as a bus boy. “From the moment I came here, I started saving money. I thought it was impossible.”

Carlos finished high school in El Salvador, the first one is family to complete the task. His father saved two out of the three dollars he earned a day to make sure his son has a future beyond the coffee fields. Upon moving to the US, he wanted to continue his education and get his college business degree and needed American credentials. For three years, he studied English five days a week at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, a school for adult immigrants in DC. The he decided to pursue his GED to give him the credentials he needed to enter college. After completing his GED he found Academy of Hope's Bridge Program which helps adult learners get ready for rigorous college coursework. Carlos is now pursuing his associate's degree in business administration at the University of District Columbia Community College.

He saved enough money to buy 16 acres of land in El Salvador near his family, who planted Arabica trees, a variety of specialty coffee plants.

Café Los Suenos (Coffee of Dreams) was started.

“That is one of my greatest, greatest dreams and accomplishments that I have ever done.”

Carlos and his wife, Elizabeth met while working waiting tables at Busboys and Poets, a popular café restaurant. They jumped into their business plan head first traveling to Boston and NYC for coffee shows, meeting other coffee owners, importers and exporters and researching coffee roasting processes. Carlos became a certified roaster through the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. “I thought it was simple, but it involves more than that.” The couple hired a coffee roasting teacher to travel from Arizona to train Carlos in the art of roasting specialty coffee.

While his business is growing in the US, Carlos is most proud of the impact he has on his family back home. With his success, he gives them opportunities. He funded his sister to go to hair school, another family member to open up a snack stand and his parents cottage has been renovated. And, with the land he bought, this family can harvest the coffee beans to sell to local exporters.

Right now, Carlos sells his roasted beans to friends and family. He is starting to sell at farmers markets this summer.

Even with the small size of Café Los Suenos, Carlos and Elizabeth are already saving 5% of profits, which will go to projects in El Salvador to combat the lack of education, food and income. “We will increase the percentage when we are making more. As long as we have enough to get by, that is all we need.”

I asked Carlos how he persevered through hard times to get his company going.

Carlos posing at Academy of Hope

“Sometimes [your dream] won’t happen the way you plan it, but it is all going towards the same goal in the long run. Even if you work slow but steady, sometime you’re going to get there. ”

Carlos tells me that he was terrified of talking to potential customers at first because his English was new and he had no prior business experience. He felt the same way about started classes at Academy of Hope, fearful of the culture and language.

“Education is like getting a set of tools. They put you through all the process right in front of you. And it’s up to you to do your part and take it and move on.”

Carlos and his wife hold customer meet-and-greets at their home called “Sunday Salon”. Friends and acquaintances come together to taste coffee, talk and enjoy community.

He reflects on his days back in El Salvador, where everyday sounds like a “Sunday Salon”. “Because I grew up in a community, very small, 5 houses, middle of nowhere, we were family. It is nice when you know each other and its even better if you sit down and have a little talk and a little coffee and share stories.”

For Carlos, his journey to the US has led to a company that connects him right back to home. His dreams, are made of coffee.

To contact Carlos about buying his coffee or finding him at the Georgetown farmers market, email him at Cafelossuenos@gmail.com or call him at 202-281-7512.You can also find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/CafeLosSuenos.

Guest Blog: Mayor’s Budget Shortchanges Under-Educated DC Adults … and Their Kids

2014-04-29T17:26:00.001-04:00

Note from the editor: This post was written by Kathryn Baer posted originally on her blog, Poverty and Policy. She is a policy research and communications consultant. She blogs to educate her readers on policies in order to reduce hardships of people suffering from poverty. Her blog is great one to follow!

“We have jobs and we have people,” says DC Appleseed’s Deputy Director. “But the education people have doesn’t fit the jobs available.” The real problem, however, as she goes on to suggest, is the education that many people don’t have.

This isn’t a rerun of the oft-debunked skills gap myth — at least so far as the District of Columbia is concerned. The extraordinarily high high unemployment rates in the poorer parts of the city apparently reflect a lack of minimal education credentials — and skills they’re supposed to indicate.

About 60,000 residents 18 years and older lack a high school diploma or the equivalent. An even larger number “likely lack the basic … skills needed to succeed in training, postsecondary education and the workforce,” according to a new DC Appleseed report.

Of the deplorably few adults in programs supported by funds the Office of the State Superintendent of Education administers, more than half who weren’t learning English as a second language have consistently tested below 6th grade level.

This means they’re ineligible for any of the programs the Department of Employment Services makes available through an Individual Training Account and also for most of the programs offered by our local community college.

Even residents who test higher often fail the GED exams. Their pass rate in 2012 was 55.2% — the third lowest in the country. And the exams got tougher this year.

Yet more than three-quarters of all jobs in the District will require some postsecondary education by 2020, according to the latest projectionsby experts at Georgetown University.

In short, as things stand now, we’re looking at a very large number of working-age residents whose chances of full-time, living-wage jobs are dismal.

And as if that weren’t enough, we’ve research indicating links between parents’ education (or lack of same) and their children’s success in school. On the downside, children whose parents are functionally illiterate are twice as likely to be illiterate themselves.

This isn’t only because poverty rates are highest among adults without a high school diploma or GED — well over 33% in the District for those 25 and older. But all the daily impacts of poverty, e.g., hunger, homelessness, stress, obviously play a part.

Plowing more money into the rest of the education system, as the Mayor proposes, won’t deliver the hoped-for bang for the buck if the basic education needs of parents are neglected, as DC Learns warnedseveral years ago.

DC Appleseed’s report identifies a range of problems in the District’s approach to adult education — including, but not limited to inadequate funding.

It outlines steps toward a long-range solution — essentially, an integrated system that connects basic skills development to career pathways. The DC Council could lay the groundwork with the initial $2.5 million the report recommends.

But the Council should also increase funding for the adult education programs we have now — both to serve more residents and to support better results.

I wish I could tell you what the Mayor’s budget proposes. But it’s characteristically opaque — partly, but not entirely because of the fragmentation DC Appleseed documents.

This much I’ve been able to parse.

The handful of charter schools that provide adult education would getmore per pupil, as would the two regular public schools that do.

They’d still get less per pupil than what schools would get for any other type of student. And the new extra weight that’s supposed to boost funds for schools with students who’ve been designated “at risk” won’t apply, though some of the adults surely meet the same criteria, e.g., eligibility for SNAP (food stamp) benefits.

OSSE would get less for the adult education grants it provides. Theproposed budget indicates a cut of about $3.8 million. This apparently reflects the fact that the Department of Employment Services won’t be transferring funds, as it did this fiscal year.

The Fair Budget Coalition had recommended that the baseline budgetfor adult education, i.e., the estimated costs of preserving current services, include these funds — a $5.5 million addition, according to FBC.

Hard to believe that the Mayor and his people couldn’t have found the money. They’ve instead put $3 million for adult literacy on the list of items to be funded if revenues prove higher than projected.

Let’s just say this is a mere gesture, since it would take $59.8 million to fund the priorities ranked higher. Setting this pie-in-the-sky aside, the total requested for all the programs that, in one way or the other, address the adult basic skills deficit might serve more residents than in Fiscal 2013.

But they then served at most about 8,000, according to DC Appleseed. That’s a far cry from meeting the need.

Advocacy Celebration Empowers Students at The Hope

2014-04-01T15:42:00.001-04:00

Informing, motivating, and advocating.These three verbs were used very widely last week at The Hope.

Education at The Academy of Hope is broader than a passing grade or even the GED certificate. It is the power to make a difference in all facets of life including in the community, and at the polls. With the mayoral election in full swing, The Hope staff wanted to put on an event in order to empower students to learn about the issues that affect their lives and the DC neighborhoods in which they live and work.

There is an overwhelming sense of economic and structural inequality for DC residents. Learning about the issues behind these feelings is empowering for students.

“It’s a validation of discomfort that they feel, and there are real issues behind those emotions that their peers feel too,” Meghan, a social studies instructor and organizer of the event explained. “You’re saying ‘you’re right’. And that’s powerful. We're showing that there is a way for people to be engaged and to change the conditions they’re in.”

Students proudly pose stating what issue
the care about the most

Last Tuesday, students crowded classrooms participating in activities focusing on DC geography and demographics, DC vs. federal government, mayoral candidate topics, government budget, gentrification, and voting disenfranchisement. At the final station, students proudly posed for a photo while standing up for the topic that mattered most to them and voted in a mayoral election straw poll. Mauriel Bauser won The Hope’s election.

Students gained mayoral candidate trading cards for each station, and classes competed with others for involvement. Student’s even presented mayoral informational posters at one station, and led the discussion.

“They just did such a good job. They were the ones presenting and teaching,” Brittany, lead instructor said. “That’s one of the goals of Academy of Hope.”

Mayor Gray check out a station where

students matched up the different branches

of the government

The original idea sprouted from the Social Studies curriculum. Starting in January, students started learning about the three branches of government, the Senate, House and Congress work to pass laws. As the mayoral election campaigning ramped up in March, the idea to educate all of The Hope community about the topics involved with this election became the main focus.

“We wanted to have students motivated to vote and to be informed about issues and candidates,” Meghan said. “My dream was exactly what happened. All the students were getting involved in something that was really fun and interesting to them. The work that we did together planning all the rooms turned out great.”

The teachers noticed as they started teaching the political curriculum, there was a lack of connection between big-sector issues and their own lives.This event aimed at connecting the political system and personal lives of students.

Director Lecsester greets Mayor Gray

“I think our objective was giving people information about how to get out the vote. Showing why it’s important to get informed, so even if no one went out and voted about this I’d be fine, as long as they were informed. Even that is a decision.” Meghan said.

The students saw truly how much their voice can be heard because the current Mayor (as of last week), Vincent Gray made a special appearance. He, and his camera crew, walked to all the stations, socializing with The Hope students and staff. One comedic moment was when he checked out a poster that was made about his political platform by a social studies class student. He stared at it very seriously before walking to the next classroom.

After his visit full of shaking hands, posing for pictures and learning about The Hope’s curriculum and Advocacy Celebration, he entered his vote into the straw poll. He voted for himself.

For next year, Meghan wants to add a station where students can learn about all the positive changes that are being made because of citizens staying informed and standing up for issues that affect them.

“People feel tension and a lack of power in the system, this event helps gives them a voice. There is progress, it’s just buried behind all the bad news.”

The High Cost of Transportation: When Showing Up is Half the Battle

2014-03-25T15:13:00.001-04:00

This post was originally written for DC Alliance of Youth Advoactes: DCAYA on their blog, Youth Friendly DC by The Hope's Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, Patricia DeFerrari.

Whitney is an unassuming, quiet but friendly young woman who, like her peers, has earplugs in her ears more often than not. But don’t be fooled by her appearances. She is a very determined young woman. She is not yet 19 years old, but she is already a mother, working hard to move from transitional housing and dependence on TANF assistance to employment that will allow her to provide for herself and her child. She earned her GED last September, but she knows to get a job that pays enough to sustain her and her child, she needs college and/or a postsecondary credential. That’s why she’s enrolled in bridge-to-college classes at Academy of Hope.

When Whitney first enrolled at Academy of Hope, she was part of a DOES-funded GED program for youth that included a transportation stipend. For Whitney, this meant that she could take the Metro from her transitional housing in South East DC to Edgewood Terrace near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro, where Academy of Hope’s Strive for Success classes were held. It took about 45 minutes and cost between $2.05 and $4.10 each way. The cost, of course, depended on the time of day she traveled (peak times to get to school, non-peak to get back home) and whether she took a bus to school from the Rhode Island Metro or chose to take the 10-minute walk. When funding for transportation stipends ended, Whitney’s commute to school became both a financial burden and a larger time commitment. In order to save money, Whitney no longer rides the Metro. She takes a couple of buses and spends more than an hour traveling each way. The trip costs $1.60 each way, which amounts to $3.20 a day, $12.80 for the four days of class a week and $16.00 a week if she comes in for tutoring on Friday. The extra 15-20 minutes commuting each way adds more than a couple of hours a week.

To those of us with salaried jobs, whether middle wages or high end, $16 a week doesn’t sound like all that much money, but put it in context. $16 a week is $48 a month. Whitney’s total income for the month is $336, which she receives through TANF. A third of that goes to rent at the transitional house where she is living. That leaves $216 for everything else, including food, diapers for the baby, clothing, personal hygiene, transportation, etc. for the month. Whitney feels lucky because she’s healthy and her baby’s healthy, so she doesn’t have to decide between medicine and transportation. She is determined to get the education she needs for a better life for herself and her daughter.

There are other students who don’t have even the minimal income of TANF or supportive housing who struggle to meet their basic needs, who live even farther away from school or have more family members dependent on them. These students end up dropping out of school because they simply cannot win the battle of showing up to class. Providing assistance, such as a transportation stipend or extending Kids Ride Free, will break down a major barrier that prevents non-traditional students, such as Whitney, from breaking the cycle of poverty. Whitney is making the commitment to show up to class and better her situation. Now it's the city's turn to ease Whitney's ride to school so she may continue changing her life not only for herself, but for child.

Patricia DeFerrari is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Academy of Hope. Patricia works to ensure DC is a more equitable and prosperous city by speaking up for adults with low literacy.

Coming Back Home: Loucace’s Story

2014-03-04T13:21:00.004-05:00

Loucace Ampe is far away from her roots in West Africa but found “home” at The Hope. Eighteen years ago she moved to the United States from the Ivory Coast. When she left Africa, she left school behind.

Her primary language is French and she learned English on-the-go when she came to DC, through soap operas like “Days of Our Lives”.

Continuing her education was always on her mind after moving to DC, although the challenges of getting loans for school and the pressures of work kept her from fulfilling her education. “I just put my education on the back burner,” she commented.

Then, her two children and a husband made time fly by. Nearly two decades passed until Loucace finally took the courageous step to continue her education. She and a close friend decided together it was time but didn't know where to start. So like so many who are looking for information, they looked online and stumbled upon The Hope’s program.

“The Academy of Hope is like coming home to me because when you are home you feel comfortable. There are no barriers, all your mindset and fears, your doubts, everything you have to put it down. When you come here you put it all down,” she said.

In just a year and a half Loucace conquered the General Education Development (GED), and graduated at The Hope’s May ceremony.

“I was challenged with math because how fractions are done there and here are different,” she said about her first months at The Hope. “I didn't think I would learn that much after [not being in school] for 18 years, and I didn't think that everything would rush back to me. But the people here were tremendous help to me.”

While it was always in her heart to go to college, it became even more important when her two children started school. She has an eight and eleven year old, and she wanted to be able to help them with their homework.

“My 11 year old wants to be a biologist, he loves science. And my little one is a complete artist, he has multiple facets; he can sing, he can read, he is everywhere, so I really don’t know what he will do. He is very creative.”

When Loucace was working on algebra, her son was as well. They would do their homework together at the kitchen table. “We would help each other.”

But at first, she wasn't excited about her education like she is now, two years later.

“At the beginning I was feeling really bad, ‘I was like man look at me at this age, going to college at his age, what am I going to tell my kids?”

“So I got stuck in that mentality for a while. I didn't even tell them I was going to school. But after my mentor talked to me and I saw adults in the college with me I thought ‘wow this is amazing, I’m not alone, why should I feel bad?’”

Her kids were supportive when she opened up to them, came to her graduation and are now cheering her on at college. Loucace’s husband is a doctorate in ministry and has been her backbone through her education journey thus far. And it isn't done.

She is currently at University of the District of Columbia (UDC) starting her bachelors degree. She hasn't decided yet what she will major in but she is interested in working with people and computers.

Not only is she taking five classes right now, juggling work and family…she also won a scholarship that helps her with tuition.

While Louace loves being at UDC, she says she misses coming to The Hope.

“The lady at the front desk the first day had a huge smile on her face; she still has the same attitude. She smiles every day. It’s amazing. The teaching material is awesome. It covers everything from one plus one to how to open a bank account… what else could you ask for?”

“I mean, like I said, coming back here is like coming home.”

When Louace was asked what she would tell other students who are going back to school, she said “it's never too late and I really thank God for all of [The Hope staff]. I wish I could help all your wishes to come true like you made mine,” she said with a smile.

From Colorado to DC, Learning About Education Means Stepping Outside the Classroom

2014-02-25T15:04:00.002-05:00

I was born and raised in FortCollins, Colorado, across the country, seventeen hundred miles away from DC. My childhood was lived on a college campus. My dad is a college professor. I went to preschool on campus, spent school holidays in lecture halls and learned how to organize engineering exams as soon as I learned the alphabet by laying in the living room with hundreds of papers surrounding my dad, sister and I…alphabetically by last name, and then first.

The importance of education has always been a huge part of my life, it was assumed early on that I would attend and finish college, and it was this way with most of the people that attended grade school to high school with me. The dropout rate of the school district I attended was only approximately 4.1%.

This is an exceptional statistic that does not mirror the rest of the country, or even state. I started to get into journalism in High School because it let me explore out of the bubble in which I was living. The bubble in which education was the norm, middle-income peers were all around me and tree-and- flower beds lined most streets. While writing on my high school newspaper, I finally had a reason to explore past all this, to tell stories behind what most see. Everyone has a story, and most don’t get told.

One of these stories I learned through writing is that the city I thought I knew so well, had a second face that was rarely talked about. According to the 2009 census, over 25% of Fort Collins residents live below poverty line. It took me until I was 18 years old to learn that statistic, and many live in Fort Collins their whole lives without truly understanding the challenging aspects of the town. Sure there are great organizations working to help families struggling, but public awareness of the poverty level seems virtually absent.

I then went to college in Fort Collins for Communication Studies and I made it a goal that I would use the writing, digital media and outreach skills I was learning in the classroom, out of the classroom to help those that need a voice. When my dad started a project in DC for work, it was astounding to me to learn that our nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. had the highest rate of high school dropouts in the nation, at almost 60%. And, in all the media coverage of the area, political news overwhelms public perception about the area and the education and poverty levels aren’t given close to enough national attention. It didn’t seem right to me.

I had a hard time focusing in my classes on just textbook work. I would write all my papers on literacy in America, dropout rates around the nation, and economic disparities around me. National Public Radio did an extensive series on how the economy is affected by just this. The series originated with WAMU, the leading public radio station in the greater Washington, DC area by education and poverty Special Correspondent Kavitha Cardoza. Her article "Adding Up The Cost Of Low Literacy Among Adults" drew me to The Hope. Her story later became a full documentary series called "Breaking Ground".
I decided it was time I take a break from schooling and further understand my passion for community development and education communication. I learned about Academy of Hope through the NPR piece. I now am working on putting students and teachers stories on the blog, social media coverage, data input and anything else AoH needs help with. I am truly excited and humbled to be able to learn about such an amazing organization that is giving students their own voice, to tell their own story, everyday.

- Mary Willson, Communication and Data Intern

Getting 'A Kick Out of Fractions', And An Award From The Mayor

2014-02-21T15:45:00.001-05:00

Imagine my surprise when I received an email one day recently from the Mayor’s Office of Volunteerism informing me that I was this year’s recipient of the Mayor’s Community Service Award in the category of Education. I received my award, a crystal obelisk of the Washington, Monument, at a ceremony held in the beautiful Mayor’s Ceremonial Room in the Wilson Building. Mayor Gray spoke about the importance of volunteerism and how it brings the city together. I am still amazed and thrilled that I could have been chosen for such an honor.

For the last few years I have been a volunteer tutor and math teacher in Academy of Hope’s daytime program. I’ve taught the basic course in whole numbers, and the course in decimals, but my real favorite is fractions, which I teach now. I’m not sure why I get such a kick out of fractions, but it may be largely because so many of my students approach it with apprehension and that makes it very satisfying to help them overcome this attitude. For many, understanding fractions was something they were overwhelmed by in school, and their failure to master it may have been a turning point in their education. Conquering fractions gives them the confidence to move on toward high school level math and eventually to the GED.

Certainly, the greatest satisfaction one finds in teaching is the memory of those unexpected moments when students suddenly “get it” and realize that can understand math. To have the AoH faculty write up a description of my efforts, to have those words chosen for recognition, and to have them read out in a public ceremony, was a pretty awesome event that I will never forget. It was a highlight for me and I will always be enormously grateful.

- Dilys Lande, longtime volunteer

Local Leaders Carry on MLK Jr.'s Dream

2014-02-07T14:37:00.001-05:00

Last month we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is a day we pay homage to our society’s ability to see past life’s limitations and disappointments and honor the most noble aspirations that live in us both individually and collectively. Today we remember and pay respect to a world without gross inequality, where all humans are valued for the potential they hold regardless of social status or background.

Lecester Johnson stands with AoH Graduate

We also honor the brave individuals who have made it their life’s purpose to turn these dreams into reality. Leaders whose actions, words, and examples embody the principles that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for – equality, justice, and hope. Leaders like Lecester Johnson, Executive Director of Academy of Hope, recipient of Georgetown University’s Legacy of a Dream Award for 2014.

Academy of Hope provides adult education, employment resources and tutoring. But in fact, its founding vision is building hope in the hearts of those struggling to overcome life’s most obstinate challenges – poverty, underemployment, and disempowerment. Academy of Hope provides a nurturing environment for dreams to take root and the tools for its learners to actualize them little by little – to find steady work, set a good example for their children, or challenge themselves to live more fulfilling and productive lives.

We honor Lecester Johnson and others who have brought the Washington, DC community one step closer to King’s dream. Because the purpose of MLK Jr. Day is not to revere a great leader who once gave a great speech, who is now just a black and white figure in our history books and our calendars. The purpose is to remember the great cause that he stood for – social equality – and to celebrate those who advancing this same cause to this day.

Places like Academy of Hope ensure that dreams like King’s stay alive and build the foundation for a more just and loving society. We applaud Lecester Johnson, her staff, and the volunteer teachers for the work that they do and honor her alongside those pursuing their dream for a better world.

Reaching new heights

2013-12-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

Last week Kate and Jim, Academy of Hope volunteers, took their reading class on a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Capitol. Kate wrote about this experience in her own words.

I work on Capitol Hill. Of the hundreds of Capitol tours I have given over the years, none have meant more to me than the one I gave to Diane, Sharon and Charles.

At the beginning of the term, we set a goal to read an entire book cover to cover—an accomplishment some of our students had yet to achieve in their lives. For the past 14 weeks, we have been reading together "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry," a story about post-slavery racism and discrimination. All of our students shared stories of their ancestors being slaves, their perceptions of racism today and how they can face their own struggles with courage and hope.

We finished the book two weeks ago and to celebrate this monumental achievement, I took them on a tour of the Capitol—a place they had never visited even though all three of them were born and raised here in DC.

I took them to the Old Supreme Court Chamber where the Dred Scott case was argued and handed down. I took them to the Old Senate Chamber where Senator Charles Sumner was caned, and where most of the slavery debates prior to the Civil War took place. And finally I took them to see the new statue of Rosa Parks in Statuary Hall. My eyes watered as they talked about what freedom in our country means to them.

People sometimes ask me how I make time each week to teach at AOH. But how could I not? I learn more from them than they could ever learn from me. I may be teaching them how to read, but they are teaching me to be more compassionate, more kind and more charitable. It helps me to be a little more grateful for all of the blessings in my life—including the ability to read this email without any assistance. I’m reminded that some of our neighbors aren't as fortunate.

And that’s the story of our Capitol tour!

-Kate, Academy of Hope evening volunteer

Bringing to life many GED and life skills concepts

2013-09-11T16:49:00.000-04:00

“Peppers start off green and get redder as they get riper,” Shaniqua instructs as she holds up a juicy bell pepper, fresh off the vine. Quickly another learner chimes in to voice his disapproval, insisting that peppers start red and become green. Shaking her head, Shaniqua fires back gracefully, affirming her statement with solid proof: she has seen a pepper—this pepper, in fact—make its chromatic transition across the spectrum and is here to set the facts straight.

Since April—when Academy of Hope began its cooperation with Wangari Gardens—learner-led interactions at the garden have been the norm, bringing to life many GED and life skills concepts that had formerly functioned merely as page-bound test items. The program has started as a small effort with several students and faculty focusing on mastering raised bed gardening, but has larger aspirations, according to Academy of Hope instructor and garden coordinator, Meghan Snyder.

“I’d like to see these few garden beds really change the way Academy of Hope classes function,” she says. “Our learners have had issues in traditional classroom settings, so opportunities to transform the way students think about what learning looks like are always positive.”

And while the program is growing gradually, the vegetables are shooting up. Summer harvests included tomatoes, squash, lettuce, rosemary, cilantro, jalapeno and bell peppers. The tasty haul was distributed equally among the gardeners, but Meghan says she hopes to expand this element of the program as well. “Many of our students do not have regular access to healthy, fresh food. If we can expand our harvests, I hope we’ll be able to distribute healthy snacks during school store hours. Starbursts and Doritos probably can’t sustain you through a four-hour GED practice test,” she laughs.

Whatever the future of the garden holds, students like Shaniqua are sure to be involved. As she collects the squash, tomatoes, and lettuce that she has harvested, Shaniqua seems content. “That was fun,” she shouts as she walks away, “When do we get to come back?”

--Meghan Snyder, Academy of Hope Instructor

Interested in supporting the Academy of Hope garden? If you would like to donate items to plant please contact Meghan at meghan@aohdc.org. To make financial contributions you can give securely online here.

Changing GED Could Mean Greater Barriers for Area Women

2013-08-07T14:04:00.002-04:00

Last week Jessica Zetzman, Washington Area Women's Foundation, wrote about the challenges and barriers that the changes to the GED could mean for adults looking to pass the test. Jessica also highlights our work on this issue including our most recent forum "What does a changing GED mean for DC adults ?" held on July 17th. Check out Jessica's piece below as we continue the discussion of the GED and DC adults. To view pictures and videos from the forum check out our Facebook and Youtube pages here. And a special thank you to Jessica and the Washington Area Women's Foundation for their continued support!

I’ve had the amazing opportunity to be a volunteer teacher at Washington Area Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partner, The Academy of Hope, and can speak to the hard work of the learners who step through their doors each day. This innovative organization provides basic education to adult learners. Though most learners have jobs, families and a myriad of other responsibilities that compete for their time, they still make their studies a priority. In spending time with the learners there, I’ve come to see that the value of a GED or high school equivalency diploma goes beyond the increased job opportunities and higher wages associated with obtaining that level of education (though these are extremely important). Their value is also in the confidence gained by the adults who walk across the stage at graduation, in a mother who is more equipped to help her children with their homework, in that member of society who is more prepared for civic engagement and in immeasurably more ways. In January of 2014, however, the GED is undergoing significant changes that will likely make it considerably more difficult to obtain.

While there are several changes coming to the GED, three of the most significant shifts are the transition from paper-based tests to computerized-only exams, the jump from a $50 testing fee to a fee of $120, and an increase in the test’s difficulty. These changes have been widely debated, and Academy of Hope has been tackling the tough questions around this transition through a series of panels and continuing dialog on this issue. Most recently, they hosted local experts for a panel discussion on July 17th, in partnership with the Moriah Fund and PNC Bank, to discuss the implications of the changing GED for DC adults.

The panel raised several great issues, discussing the challenges and barriers that the changes to the GED could mean for adults looking to pass the test, and balancing these with comments on the need for the GED to remain relevant at a time when many jobs demand higher levels of computer literacy and “soft skills” such as listening, critical reasoning, and inductive reasoning. For me, one of the most relevant comments came from Nicole Smith, a research professor and senior economist at the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. She noted that her research has shown that women need an entire layer of education higher than men to obtain the same salary, meaning that when a woman obtains her GED she would still need at least an associate’s degree or certificate just to earn what a man with a GED alone would be able to earn; women with the same educational attainment as men earn about a quarter less than their male counterparts over a lifetime. For the new GED, with the increase in difficulty, greater need for computer literacy and higher financial burden just to take the test, women will face an even more difficult road to higher education and family sustaining wages.

In a city where, in 2008, 14% of girls did not complete high school, the ramifications for this are serious. The GED test is the most widely recognized alternative to a high school diploma and a gateway to higher education opportunities. The changes to the GED will likely increase the time commitment of adults studying for the test, and will mean a tremendous amount of work for organizations that prepare adults in the Washington area for the GED, as they will need to revamp and adapt their programs to the new standards. At the panel discussion, NPR’s Kavitha Cardoza remarked that with the coming changes in the GED, “this is a really scary time for adult educators and adults in DC.”

As the barriers to higher education for women in the region increase, so, too, do the barriers to better jobs and more opportunities for women and their families to find economic security. This is why The Women’s Foundation funds programs like Academy of Hope and appreciates their commitment to continuing the conversation with great events like this panel!

For more information on what the changes to the GED could mean for area adults, click here for a policy brief courtesy of The Working Poor Families Project.

You can follow Academy of Hope as they continue the discussion on twitter at @AoHDC and on Facebook.

By Jessica Zetzman (To view this post on Washington Area Women's Foundation just click here.)

Help support adult literacy today!

2013-06-06T06:27:00.003-04:00

Do More 24 is today!

What is it? A city-wide one-day organized fundraising challenge. The Academy of Hope will be competing against other non-profits in the region during the 24-hour period.

What is the purpose? Academy of Hope is attempting to raise money for the General Educational Development (GED) tests, because in early 2014, the cost will be rising from $50 to $120 to take the test. With this high school credential, adults are able to find better-paying jobs to support their families and they are more likely to support their children with their education endeavors. Academy of Hope’s goal is to reach $5,000.

What amount? $12 supplies a calculator for one learner, $24 helps a learner purchase a GED study book, and $48 helps advanced computer learners purchase textbooks for the IC3 (Internet and Computing Core Certification) class. And more is always welcome!

Why June 6? Non-profits are racing against each other for prizes and donations only count if they are received on June 6. Awards include:

Most Donor Awards

•Most Donors for the Day: $15,000

•Most Donors at ½ Day Mark (12:00 pm on June 6th): $5,000

•Most Donors by Sector: $2,500 each

Most Dollars Raised Awards

•Most Dollars Raised: $5,000

•Most Dollars Raised by Sector: $1,000 each

“Best In” Awards

•Best in Social Media: $7,500

•Best Co-Branded Marketing Campaign: $7,500

•Best Do More 24 Event: $7,500

Please give today to help support our learners and reach our $5,000 goal for the day! Tell your friends and family!

Putting Literacy at the Head of the Line in D.C.

2013-05-14T14:01:00.000-04:00

Opinion Editorial published in The Washington Post on May 10, 2013

Darnetta Hollis, a mother of four, survived domestic violence and overcame homelessness to earn her high school diploma at age 29. One of 36 graduates from Academy of Hope’s adult education program, Hollis told fellow students at their recent graduation: “We accomplished a goal that seemed at one time impossible. By taking our education seriously, we are saying we take our lives seriously.” Today, Hollis is working as a temp for nonprofit organizations and taking classes toward certification as a paralegal, with the goal of a career in the legal profession — a far cry from the two low-wage, dead-end jobs she was juggling before she earned her high school diploma.

More than 64,000 D.C. adults lack a high school credential. With limited basic math, reading and digital literacy skills, these residents have difficulty following written instructions, completing paperwork, communicating effectively with colleagues or helping their children with homework. This undermines the job security of workers, the economic viability of local businesses and the well-being of families.

That is why we must do more to help men and women in our community improve their basic skills. The looming overhaul of the GED exam — which will include major changes such as moving from a paper-and-pencil test to a computer-based exam, as well as significantly more difficult questions — makes this an especially critical time to support adult education.

But funding for adult literacy has decreased steadily in recent years and falls far short of the need. The proposed budget of $4.3 million for fiscal 2014 would allow some 20 nonprofit organizations to serve approximately 3,100 adults. We are asking the D.C. Council to approve a total of $8.3 million($4 million from the mayor’s contingency wish list in addition to the $4.3 million that is in the budget) to push that total to 4,100 adults and to help nonprofits update curriculum and train teachers to prepare for impending changes to the GED.

Given all the demands on the city’s budget, why should literacy be a higher priority?

Literacy is one of those root problems that, if addressed with serious investments, will pay off in multiple ways. For instance, earning a diploma is not only good for adult students; it also is good for their children. Parents with strong literacy skills can better help their children do homework, study and succeed in school. And young adults whose parents have a high school diploma are more likely to complete high school than are those whose parents do not, according to a 2012 Urban Institute report.

India Clegg, a mother of three and participant in Southeast Ministry’s GED program, illustrates the key role parents’ literacy plays. She says, “I want my children to learn from me how important an education is. I know obtaining a GED is not the only thing that will improve our future, but it will give us options.”

In addition to improving children’s educational outcomes, a high school equivalency diploma is critical to helping residents of our region succeed at training and finding work and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

With close to 80 percent of jobs in the District projected to require skills beyond high school by 2018, we can and must do more to support our residents’ most basic educational needs. The District can no longer afford to skimp on its investment in adult education; otherwise, a large portion of its residents will continue to be unprepared to fill future jobs and will be left out of the city’s well-being and growth.

As a community, we must come together to provide our residents with skills, but also hope. As Darnetta Hollis put it, “Graduation, for me, was not an end, but a beginning.”

Lecester Johnson is executive director of Academy of Hope. Terri Lee Freeman is president of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.
Click here to view this op ed as published in The Washington Post.

"I am a Mother in school"

2013-05-03T13:51:00.002-04:00

My name is Mary and I’m 43 years old and I am a high school graduate. I was born and raised here in Washington, DC along with three other siblings. I attended DCPS [District of Columbia Public Schools] since the age of five. I didn’t graduate from high school, because I became pregnant with my oldest child. I began going to Academy of Hope in 1996, and I started with the GED program. I ended up struggling with that program so in 2008 I switched to the NEDP [National External Diploma Program]. On June 14, 2012 I graduated and received my high school diploma which I was happy about.

When I told my oldest daughter that mommy was going back to school she was happy for me, and she said, “Mommy now you enter the world with us by being a high school graduate.” I just sat back and smiled because I knew that she was proud that her mommy finally has her high school diploma. Even my mother was happy–she was in tears when I mentioned her in my speech. I graduated two weeks before my mom’s birthday and so my graduation was my birthday gift to her.

Now, my dream is to attend college and receive a degree in early childhood education. I’m making a step already to make this dream come true. I’m taking up College Prep in the spring to help me prepare for college. In 2014 I should have the funds for college or maybe a scholarship, and then hopefully I can attend UDC [University of the District of Columbia] community college. At the moment I am doing a refresher before I start my college prep classes. I enjoy studying alone and with no music and no TV –just nice and quiet. I like to study about 1 1/2 hours and then read for another hour.I have a schedule that I organized how to plan all my study time.

Now since I am a high school graduate I feel happy, joyful and praising God that I made it. Now I can fill out applications and I don’t worry about the part: “Name your high school.” I can now say I graduated in 2012. I am a graduate along with my four children. I enjoy helping my niece with her homework and she also enjoys our reading sessions. We have read over 30 books in two weeks. I remember I didn’t enjoy helping my sister with her algebra because I didn’t understand the concepts, and now I can understand algebra. I’m happy that I did make a change for myself and with the high school diploma I have so much opportunity that awaits me.

By Mary Crumble, Academy of Hope Graduate & College Pathway Learner

Mary was 1 of 12 individuals selected from over 260 applicants to the World Education Mother's Day Stories announcement. Congratulations and thank you to Mary for sharing her story and thank you to World Education for posting this story as one of your Mother's Day Stories.

To read the original post on World Education click this link.

"High Price for Low Literacy"

2013-04-19T13:19:00.001-04:00

Last part of WAMU 88.5's series "Yesterday's Dropouts". Listen here to Special Correspondent Kavitha Cardoza's report.

To donate to Academy of Hope and help adult learners like Claudine Edwards, click here.

"At 13 years old, Claudine Edwards had a baby and dropped out of school. When she did, her dreams of becoming a nurse evaporated. Now she's 53 and has come to Academy of Hope, a nonprofit in southeast D.C., to ask about classes.

Edward's motivation for coming back to school is to be able to read baby books to her neighbor's grandchildren. This is the third time she's enrolled in adult education classes. She stopped coming the first time because of an abusive relationship; the second time was after she took the GED test — and failed.

“I went to school everyday,” she says. “It just felt like my heart dropped. To this day, I could cry.”

Edwards is like many adult learners who are very fragile, with little confidence. They are already so discouraged that any setback can be devastating. It's taken Edwards three years to summon up the courage to try again.

"I think about all these years where I could have probably been. A lot of my goals could've been accomplished. But I'm not giving up."

She lost her job as a cleaner during the recession, and for five years she's been unemployed. Edwards relies on food stamps, and her daughter pays her rent.

When Cathy Walsh, a staff member at Academy of Hope, brings up money, Edwards tenses up. When she hears fees costs $10 for three months, Edwards looks relieved. But then a moment later, she inquires about volunteer work.

“Can you give me a copy of this, so I can show it to a loved one ‘cause I’m not working.” she asks Walsh.Walsh explains the school's "service hours" payment system, in which Edwards can volunteer after class to put away chairs and clean the whiteboard. That way she'll only have to pay a third of the fee — $10 for three months of classes. But Edwards can't afford even that. She stares at the papers.

Mismatched Skills

D.C. boasts a higher percentage of advanced degress than any of the 50 states. But there are also 85,000 people like Claudine Edwards who can’t read and write very well, and who are largely invisible.

Most of these dropouts pay a higher price for low literacy. Two out of every three adults without a high school diploma in D.C. don't have jobs.

Emily Durso, with the Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE), says adult education is the first step toward employment. She gives the example of Costco opening in D.C. a few months ago.

The Department of Employment Services had 800 people to apply for 165 jobs. The biggest barrier for people to apply wasn't willingness to work, she says, but to go through a screening process and read and comprehend Costco's literature.

For those who do get hired, it often means low-end jobs — part time or seasonal — with no hope of advancing. In tough times, they're often the first ones laid off.

Limited skills affect the economy

Stephen Fuller, an economist with George Mason University, says the whole region suffers when so many adults have limited skills.

“You train a worker, they go to work, earn money, spend their money, support other jobs, they pay taxes, earn a living,” he says. “So the return on investment, if done right, is extremely high, and it surprises me that we haven’t taken control of this.”

He says most of the unemployed workers looking for jobs just need some training to get back in the workforce. They have skills, but may not have the right skills.

In D.C., the government spends $4 million a year on nonprofits that educate adults. That's half of what it spent back in 2007.

Some adult educators say improving adult literacy rates would not only make for a more prosperous city, but also a healthier one.

Low literacy affects health

Students in a health class at St. Mary's Center in northwest D.C. are learning different body parts. This helps them tell a doctor what hurts during a visit to the clinic.

Alis Marachelian runs the health education program at St. Mary's, whose clinic serves approximately 25,000 patients each year. Marachelian says the barrier between caregivers and patients who can't read, write or speak is a "huge problem, every day."

“We use illustrations for medicines, we would draw the sun and the moon as to when to take the medicine,” says Marachelian. “Which one you take with food, with an icon of a food item. Sometimes we help them put it in a pillbox because they can’t count either.”

Marachelian says for some common conditions such as diabetes, the least compliant patients are the ones with low literacy. It's not that they're resisting medication; they just don't know how to measure the amount of insulin or understand the potentially fatal consequences of a wrong dose. And often, she says, a parent's low literacy affects their children's health.

“For example, giving cough syrup, measuring how much they might be overdosing their children and it’s absolutely unintentional. For asthma, some inhalers have the same color, so confusing the ones that are long acting or short acting is a problem.”

Marachelian says when children's symptoms fail to improve, doctors may increase the dosage or change the medication, thinking it's not working. There are more emergency room visits. Children have to miss school and parents take off from work. With a chronic condition, she says, this could mean the child falls behind academically or the parent gets fired.

Teaching the next generation

Parents who don't read well themselves also have a hard time helping their children in school.

"There is a sense of humiliation that they're somehow going to be embarrassed if they approach the school, because of what they don't have and don't know," says Valarie Ashley, who runs Southeast Ministries, an adult education center in D.C.

Research shows parental involvement improves a child's academic performance, resulting in higher test scores, better attendance and improved graduation rates. And Ashley says she's seen that happen in her own family. She was 10 when her mother went back to school at 37. Overnight, they started to sit around the dining table every evening and do homework together.

“The point came fairly quickly, where she could then supervise and help us with some of our homework,” says Ashley. “She also started to advocate for us in school, and she didn’t do that before.”

But perhaps the biggest cost is one that can't be measured. It's the invisible cost of what might have been. John Bridegland, with Civic Enterprises, a public policy firm in D.C., calls dropping out a "dream buster." Students who drop out usually don't vote and don't volunteer.

“With millions of students dropping out every year, it’s like generations of talent needlessly lost,” she says. “You think about the civic fabric of our communities and what life could have been like. You realize the dropout epidemic is a huge loss to our nation.”

It may have seemed easy to drop out of school, but the path after that is hard -- a lifetime of dreams that lie just out of reach. It means a business not started, a song unwritten, a bedtime story never read.

Even those who go back to school often struggle to earn a diploma and hold a steady job. But for many of yesterday's dropouts, there's something else at stake as well: something less tangible but no less significant: A chance to emerge from the shadows and finally be seen."

Go to WAMU 88.5's 5-part series, "Yesterday's Dropouts", for more reports, videos and resources.

Listen to Our Learners on WAMU 88.5 on Wed. 4/17 @ 6:50am & 8:50am

2013-04-15T16:43:00.001-04:00

The national debate around education usually focuses on children. But what happens when those children grow up and try to make their way into the world? WAMU 88.5's new five-part series, Yesterday's Dropouts, takes a look at the struggles adults face long after they leave school without a diploma. This series includes interviews with Academy of Hope's community and adult learners.

Tune in 4/15 through 4/19 at 6:50am and 8:50am. Each report will also be re-broadcast on consecutive Fridays on Metro Connection at 1pm and Saturdays at 7am.

Listen and connect here: http://wamu.org/yesterdays_dropouts

Also check out this slideshow that WAMU 88.5 produced of our recent graduation and listen to some of our graduates' voices.

Academy of Hope featured on CBS News and on WAMU 88.5's Community Minute

2013-03-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

CBS News
Earlier this year, a CBS crew came out to Academy of Hope to film for a segment about nonprofits "you should know about". Susan McGinnis, CBS reporter, talked to an adult learner and to our Executive Director, Lecester Johnson. CBS was also present during Academy of Hope's recent graduation on February 1st, where they captured great moments of the emotional event and words from one of our graduates, Darnetta Hollis. The segment was aired on various CBS channels and affiliates over the weekend of February 15. We're so happy to share this video with you!

Non profit bringing hope to adult learners
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50142235n

Thank you CBS for this fantastic piece!

WAMU 88.5
Academy of Hope was also chosen to be featured on the Community Minute segment produced by WAMU 88.5. Each month, Community Minute highlights community organizations that are working to improve the lives of people in the DC metro region. Lecester Johnson, Executive Director, spoke for Community Minute. Listen to Lecester throughout March on WAMU 88.5 or by following the link below:

Community Minute: Basic adult education services in Wards 5 and 8 in D.C.
http://wamu.org/community/13/02/27/community_minute_basic_adult_education_services_in_wards_5_and_8_in_dc

Thank you WAMU 88.5!

Academy of Hope is offering College Readiness Classes

2013-03-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

Interested in taking College Readiness Classes?

Academy of Hope's Bridge program seeks to support adult learners as they prepare for college coursework. Students will attend academic classes in math, writing and grammar, build computer skills, receive assistance in completing college essays and financial add documents as well as receive individual advising and career counseling.

Apply by March 18th, 12pm.

For a detailed description and additional information click here.

Succeeding in Education, Business & Life

2012-11-26T16:14:00.000-05:00

Academy Students Benefit from Capital One Partnership

Nine Academy of Hope students got quite a unique educational opportunity as they traveled to the regional headquarters of Capital One Bank in McLean, VA. The students spent the day as part of Capital One’s One Week volunteer initiative. The goal of this initiative for Capital One Bank is to bring together the time and talents of their associates to help address the community’s needs and make a big impact over seven days.

Naomi Smouha, Community Relations Manager, Capital One said the Academy of Hope proposal was selected based on the uniqueness on their request. “We were so excited to see the creativity involved in their concept: to bring AOH’s learners to our facility and engage them with our associates in an intimate conversation about the ins and outs of IT positions, working in a corporation and allowing Capital One employees to provide the students guidance.”

From the outset it was obvious that the Capital One staff was committed to creating a partnership with the Academy of Hope students. They built a comprehensive agenda for the students that included an in-depth discussion of the corporate culture of Capital One, a tour of the facility, and freely answered questions about their own professional experiences that lead them to their current positions at Capital One. AOH students were given the opportunity to shadow Capital One staffers and sat in on conference calls and participated in meetings that gave them a real-life glimpse of the leadership and teamwork of a successful business. Capital One staffers patiently gave information breakdowns that allowed the students to fully engage in the process.

The diligence and thoughtful attention of the Academy of Hope students was noted by many Capital One staffers. “I was really impressed with how much drive all of the students had as it pertained to the next steps in their career,” noted Naomi Smouha. “Whether they were entering the tech field for the first time, or were learning new skills to enhance their work experience, they asked thoughtful, important questions about how to ensure their success in the workplace.”

One of the most popular segments of the day was the question and answer session between the AOH students and the staff at Capital One. Students were given advice on job hunting, networking, knowing the culture of the company and using whatever tools they needed to get past their own limitations.

Each of the AOH students were impressed by how accommodating the staff at Capital One were to them and mentioned that they felt that they were addressing each of them as individuals and not just as a group. Belinda Josie, an Academy of Hope student commented on the specifics of what she learned at her visit. “It was so helpful to learn what companies are looking for. The phone interview is a new experience for me and I know now that I really need to prepare, to practice and be prepared for a wide variety of questions.”

As the day came to a close Daquanna Harrison-Ashton, Director of Secondary and Post-Secondary Education at AOH, recounted the lively conversations the students were having about how excited they were to share their experiences at Capital One with others in their lives. “I cannot stress how important it is for our students to recognize that they are leaders in their communities and have the power to share knowledge and information. Events like this help our students to find their voice and learning to use those voices is just as important as giving them these types of experiences,” said Harrison-Ashton.

Angela Douglas also an Academy of Hope student related her visit to Capital One with a class that she is taking through the Academy that discusses how to succeed in education, business and life. “One of the things our class taught us is that life is richer when you are giving to and receiving from others. The employees at Capital One really demonstrated how important it is to have an interactive team approach to achieve a success that is shared by all.”

--Trish Moreis-Stiles, Academy of Hope Volunteer Writer

The Adult Learner Story

2012-09-11T09:30:00.000-04:00

The American Institutes for Research highlights adult learners from Academy of Hope and the Carlos Rosario School to raise awareness about the struggles and triumphs faced by these non-traditional students.

This video features Academy of Hope Executive Director, Lecester Johnson, two Academy of Hope learners, Carlita and Karisma, and one Academy of Hope graduate, Kenneth. Want more stories of Academy of Hope learners and their successes? Check out our Fall 2012 newsletter here.

Mayor Gray Proclaims Sept. 10-16 as Adult Education and Fam. Literacy Week in DC!

2012-08-31T11:27:00.001-04:00

Click here to view the full Proclamation.

Text of the Proclamation as follows:

ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY WEEK
September 10 - 16, 2012

WHEREAS, the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) recognizes the need for a highly literate citizenry to be successful in today's world that is driven by technological advancements; and

WHEREAS, one-fifth of the District's adult's need basic literacy skills and secondary school credentials to meet their academic, career and personal goals; and

WHEREAS, OSSE sub-grantees and other providers offer adult education, ancillary, postsecondary education and workforce transition services to District residents so that they may earn a high school diploma or GED, pursue job training or postsecondary education, and enter or retain employment to earn a sustainable wage and attain self-sufficiency:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, do hereby proclaim September 10 - 16, 2012 as "ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY WEEK" in Washington, DC, and call upon all the residents of this great city to join me in encouraging our citizens to learn more about the importance of literacy and become involved in programs with learners and literacy programs in our community.

Vincent C. Gray

Academy of Hope on WUSA9 Hero Central

2012-08-27T16:24:00.000-04:00

Academy of Hope featured on WUSA9 Hero Central Segment hosted by JC Hayward

Original air date: Monday 8/27/2012

Written by Elizabeth Jia

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) --- The average person without a high school diploma earns $451 a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Adults in the District who want to earn their GED or prepare for college have a place to turn.

Academy of Hope is a non-profit adult learning center serving about 800 students. Students pay $30 dollars a semester, or volunteer in exchange for enrollment.

"I was working two jobs, 60 hours a week. Yet I still didn't make enough to support four children." Darnetta Hollis, 29, needs a higher paying job, but she needs to finish school first. Hollis left school in the 11th grade when she became pregnant. But now she is able to return to classes at Academy of Hope.

"You don't want to be a hypocrite to your children. If you're telling them to finish school and go to college, you need to do the same," Hollis said. Since 2008 Hollis has been coming to the adult learning center, part-time. She wants to concentrate on Hospitality Management at CCDC. Her long-term goal: to earn a Master's degree within the next six years. The Academy of Hope gives her the confidence to achieve.

View the full segment here:
http://www.wusa9.com/life/community/herocentral/article/218664/264/HERO-CENTRAL-Academy-of-Hope-Offers-A-Chance-To-Finish-School-

‘This is the beginning, not the end’

2012-07-18T08:56:00.001-04:00

Before Thursday, June 14, Angela B. was the only one of her mother’s nine children not to have graduated from high school. Walking across the stage to finally receive her diploma at the Academy of Hope graduation ceremony, her smile said all her family needed to know. “I told my mom that instead of saying eight of your children have a high school diploma, now you can say that all nine of them have one,” she said. Now, Angela plans to continue her education with the goal of becoming a substance abuse counselor.

Angela poses for her graduation portrait.

Angela was in good company at the ceremony, held in Crawford Hall in North East, DC. In an auditorium crowded with proud graduates, their beaming family members and a whole network of support in the Academy of Hope staff and volunteer faculty, everyone had a reason to be proud. Introducing the graduates, Executive Director, Lecester Johnson, quoted the Shel Silverstein poem “Woulda-Coulda-Shouda,” in which “…those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas/All ran away and hid/From that one little Did.”

“Standing in front of me are a whole bunch of ‘Dids,’” Johnson said. It was not an easy road for a lot of the graduates here tonight…and it is one thing to say ‘I ‘woulda coulda shoulda’ done it’, it’s another thing to have actually succeeded.”

As each student was introduced and was presented withtheir diploma, there were plenty of success stories to go around. Twenty-four of the 27 graduates were present to walk across the stage to receive their GED certificates or high school diplomas. The audience heard from graduate Antonette R., who remembered returning to her classes at Strive for Success, the STRIVE DC-Academy of Hope joint youth-focused GED program, a mere two days after giving birth to her son. She was getting ready to go to class on the day her contractions began, but soon realized that she would have to go to the hospital. “The first thing I did…was call my teachers from the hospital to tell them I can’t make it,” she said. She had her baby and went right back to studying – she was determined to not let anything get in the way of her obtaining her high school diploma.

For Mary C., graduating from Academy of Hope with her high school diploma after 17 years of hard work means that she can get back on track with a career in child development or education—a plan that has been on her radar for a while. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said. She had worked with preschoolers before and the fact that she didn’t have her high school diploma held her back. Now, armed with one following her long awaited and well deserved graduation from Academy of Hope, she’s looking forward to continuing her education at the University of DC and eventually working in childhood development.

Throughout the evening, the smiles kept coming. Anthony J. accepted his diploma after being named the ‘social butterfly’ by his presenter. Four students received attendance awards for their dedication to coming to class and Tony Y. received the “I Can Fly” award for his hard work in class and great help outside the classroom. Several other students received the industry recognized Internet and Computer Core Certification (IC3) certificates, which will greatly help them in their further pursuits of either college or a job. Eugene Thompson, a former volunteer, opened the ceremony with a passionate take on “You Raise Me Up.”

June 2012 Academy of Hope graduates with Executive Director, Lecester Johnson.

“This day means the fulfillment of so many dreams,” Academy of Hope’s co-founder, Marja Hilfiker said. Whether it means closure after a lifetime of striving for a high school diploma or the extra boost that a young person needed to get to college, for the students, teachers and families at the graduation, Thursday was more than a day to celebrate their achievements. It was the beginning of a lifetime full of continued success.

By Martha Shanahan, volunteer writer for Academy of Hope