Mayor announces new education initiatives

The city of Bloomington and the Monroe County Community School Corporation Adult Education Program have announced an initiative to increase the number Latinos and other non-English speakers receiving GEDs.\nBloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan announced a community collaboration during the city's Cinco de Mayo celebration Friday morning, his second of six within a 60-day period as part of his City Vision 2006 pledge. City Vision unites several community agencies toward the goal of attracting Latino community members toward GED preparation, which is expected to enhance Latino employment opportunities and encourage more Latino students to pursue post-secondary education. \nThe City of Bloomington Community Family Resources Department, MCCSC Adult Education Program and the local United Way Workforce Preparation Network are involved in the ongoing citywide collaboration.\n"One thing we want to do is increase the high school graduation rate in our community and across the state, prepare citizens to go into post-secondary education, and underlying everything we do is workforce preparation and contributing to the economy," said Sherry Dick, director of MCCSC Adult Education. "The Latinos and other non-native English speakers who live in this community put in a tremendous amount of work in the community. I think Bloomington would find itself a much different city in terms of businesses without their work, not only as consumers but employees."\nThe Latino GED Outreach program is supported by the financial contributions of a Lilly Endowment grant, with $6,600 of the financial aid coming from the United Way Workforce Preparation Network as matching funds to the city of Bloomington's $6,600 contribution. According to city officials, the program will provide and fund Spanish language GED-preparation classes that include Spanish language coursework, the GED pre-test, final test and other class materials so students can have access to a free education.\n"This is another example of how local government can collaborate with other community organization, all working together on a common project aimed at the betterment of our community," said Bloomington City Council Member At-large and local attorney Chris Gaal, who followed Kruzan at the podium in City Hall Friday. "This is another example of what I like to call community-based leadership."\nGaal said the Latino GED Outreach program is an example of not what the city is going to do but what all Hoosiers can do working together as a community to solve city and statewide problems. \n"As a practicing attorney, I've seen how Latinos often face barriers that make it difficult for them to meet those goals," he said. "Cultural barriers and language barriers make it difficult for them to feel as part of the community. Improving opportunities for education and employment for Latino members of our community is good ultimately for the whole community."\nMCCSC Adult Education served more than 400 English as a Second Language, or ESL, students in 2005, and Dick said GED classes are now offered to any community member regardless of origin, gender, nationality, skill level and other language or cultural barriers. \n"We are not just a GED program. We are about adult basic education like reading, literacy skills and workforce preparation," she said. "We individualize the program for every student who comes through the door. Latinos and other non-native speakers provide some of the tapestry that makes Bloomington a unique and thriving community."\nFor more information on registered for the Latino GED Outreach program or other MCCSC Adult Education opportunities, contact Teresa Velez at 349-3465.