LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CEEC!

Below students shared their thoughts about the ESL program at CEEC:

Beatriz: "We work hard, but now my friend says, 'Wow, I understand you very well!'"

Nadia: "I need to get a nursing job to help patients."

Abier: " I want to shop alone and to help my daughter with her English."

Dina: " I want to speak to make American and Indian friends."

Aisha: "Learning grammar helps me say what I am thinking."

Sulema: "I tried this when my daughter went to CEEC. We are both learning!"

Dilara: "English is easy!"

ESL classes are designed to help increase oral language literacy and enhance proficiency. In turn, students will obtain better jobs, help children in their education, become citizens, and other life skills required for success in the community. Please contact Ellen Thomas for more information at ellen.thomas@christina.k12.de.us.

The Learning Center at the Claymont Community Center is offering an online Job Search Workshop. Workshops will be held via ZOOM every Friday from 11:30-12:30. Registration is required. Please click the link below to register. Once registration is complete, a confirmation email will be sent containing ZOOM meeting information.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctd-uhrj8jGNcZVlmXt17yy8QdIbTMvdQN

Each week, each of our families receive a packet of fun, educational, interactive curriculum delivered to their door! Each packet includes parenting information and up to date community resources, in addition to early childhood and PACT activities. Packets are constructed based off a particular theme or story. For example, December’s themes were The Gingerbread Man, Froggy Gets Dressed, and The Importance of Outdoor Play. We included craft supplies, games, books, academic practice worksheets, science experiments, and all supplies necessary to complete the experiments as well. All of our parents truly appreciate the opportunity to learn with their children without the use of a computer or hand held device. Moreover, the children are always excited when we arrive at their doors with the weekly packet in hand.

Come and join the fun! To learn more about the Family Literacy Program, please visit our website at www.christinaadultprograms.com.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY LEARNING CENTER SHINING STAR

This young woman has TENACITY (determination and a stick-to-it- attitude) and she often describes her tenacity with the following saying: “WE DON’T KNOW WHAT OUR JOURNEY WILL BE.”

We are proud to honor Irene Ndgaire as our Shining Star of the Month. Irene’s GED journey started when she relocated from Uganda to New Castle County in 2016 where she stayed with a cousin for a short time. Once in the US, she worked several jobs, starting with babysitting and then became a Certified Nursing Assistant in a group home.

Shortly after Irene began searching for educational options. Irene joined our program on April 9, 2019. Her intake testing indicated that she possessed a 3rd grade reading level and 5th grade math level. Conversely, the NCCLC GED program requires a 5th grade reading level for entry and therefore Irene did not meet the entrance requirement. However, the NCCLC teachers caught sight of Irene’s inner strength and motivation, which shifted the odds of success in her favor, and in return, she was accepted into our program. An interesting sidenote is that she already had a library card and was eager to start using Libby, the app for borrowing books electronically, from the Delaware Library System. Almost immediately, she started reading anything she could get her hands and eyes on, thus strengthening her reading skills.

Not only did Irene use all the study resources that our NCCLC teachers could provide, but she also spent hours researching supplemental resources to enhance her learning. She even discovered a Facebook group that shared GED study tips and resources, and more importantly, offered encouragement through the sharing of failures and successes.

Many mornings after having worked all night as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, Irene joined our morning in-person class and ZOOM classes last spring up until now. She also initiated extra individual and/or small group Zoom lessons in social studies and language arts in order to continue boosting her own skills. In addition, she always had kind words for her classmates when encouraging them to continue reading, attending lessons and NOT GIVING UP!

Irene’s path through her GED Ready and GED Test scores was not a simple or easy one. Check out her academic milestones below.

• She passed her Mathematical Reasoning test on July 30, 2019, only 1 ½ months after she took her first Math Ready test
• Irene passed her GED Science test August 29, 2019.
  
• Irene succeeded in her Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test on November 11, 2020, at our re-opened testing center. She had taken the RLA GED Ready Test six times prior.
  
• She passed her final GED test, Social Studies, on December 16, 2020, at our GED testing center. Prior to her success, she had attempted the Social Studies test several times, each of which demonstrated Irene’s perseverance and strength.
  

Equally important, Irene’s attendance has always been exemplary, and she has remained a loyal GED student even through the pandemic months when she actually contracted COVID herself.

Irene states that, “Many times I just felt like giving up, but I knew I could not give up.” She credits her former principals who encouraged her and saw in her the ability to help all children regardless of their disability at the Catholic school she attended when she was younger.

Irene looks forward to continue her nursing studies at the Delaware Skills Center in order to obtain a degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She brings a wealth of experience working in nursing homes and teaching young children. Irene has helped all of us at GED to grow and to appreciate what goals a person can reach if he/she persists. We know that her future performance in her Nursing career will be a testament to her sterling qualities. We are proud to of Irene and honored that we have crossed paths and have assisted her on her journey to greatness!

The ITWorks tech training program is now accepting applications for our Spring 2021 semester. Technology jobs are in demand and now is a great time for young adults to get the training and certifications they need to enter the tech workforce.

ITWorks students receive 11 weeks of technical training, plus a 5-week, hands-on internship with a local corporation or non-profit. Throughout the program, students also receive professional development training with volunteers from local corporations like Accenture, WSFS Bank, Barclays, Oracle, SAP and more. After graduation, our alumni land jobs with companies like CHOP, PNC Bank, Independence Blue Cross and more. Watch success stories from our alumni.

Eligible applicants:

• Must be 18-26 years old
• Must have a high school diploma or GED
• Do not have a 4-year college degree
• Interested in a career in technology

The Spring semester will entirely virtual and will begin on March 1, 2021. Laptops for remote learning will be provided.

To find out more, please join our Virtual Info Session on Wednesday, January 13 at 12 pm. Register here: https://bit.ly/38UmugZ

It Works is dedicated to educating young adults and preparing them to enter the workforce as IT professionals.

Polytech is offering Preventative Maintenance & Inspection Diesel Technician training at the DART Mid-County Facility in St. Georges!

To be eligible, you must:

• Attend an information session
• Be available for regular attendance each day
• Be in possession of a Social Security card
• Provide proof of birthdate and U.S. residency
• Be eligible to work and willing to work full time

All successful graduates will be interviewed by DART for one of several Transit Maintenance Apprentice positions! Seating is limited, so click here and apply today!

Course Schedule

Jan 05 – Mar 25, 2021
T/Th, 6 – 9pm
2101 Mid County Drive
New Castle, DE 19720

Course Information

The Preventative Maintenance & Inspection course is required for entry into the Diesel Technician Apprenticeship program. This course prepares students to perform general preventative maintenance and inspection tasks and covers:

• Normal vehicle operation
• Maintenance documentation
• Diagnostics
• Vibration dampers
• Belts, pulleys and tensioners
• Vehicle fluids
• Wiring harnesses, connectors and seals
• Exhaust systems
• Crankcases

Students are prepared to sit for the ASE H8 or T8 certification exam at the end of the course.