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CLC ProgramsEducation ProgramCommunity Learning Center provides no-cost instruction in Adult Basic Education and GED Preparation. Classes are held at community locations in North Philadelphia. In addition, CLC participates in the Move Up initiative, the College and Career Advancement Program (CCAP), PhillyWorks, and Skills Booster. CLC also partners with Suburban Station Pennsylvania CareerLink and is a Pennsylvania Workforce Improvement Network (PA WIN) affiliate.Student Support Services ProgramWith the guidance of CLC's transition and life skills counselor, students explore career interests and set self-directed goals. Our counselor helps students in our community classes acquire life and employability skills and advance to job training, college, or other post-secondary education. Our counselor endeavors to communicate with former students to gauge CLC's impact and to assist those still in transition. We counsel students about issues that may be obstacles to attendance at CLC and the attainment of financial self-sufficiency and other goals. We inform students of, and link them with, additional community resources that can provide further support.Our Skills Booster class has its own career counselor, who is present, along with the teacher, in all class sessions.
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CLC is
based in North Philadelphia's Kensington
neighborhood, which bears the 19134 zip code. Twenty-two percent of Philadelphia's adults lack everyday literacy skills. (Above statistics are from Community Report Cards 2007, Mayor's Commission on Children; U.S. Census 2000; Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/30/07; National Center for Education Statistics Literacy Survey, 2003; Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/9/2009) |
| In June, we celebrate the special achievements of CLC learners. Students and their families gather for an awards and graduation celebration. Teachers honor individual students for their unique accomplishments — from progress in math to obtaining employment to writing an excellent essay — during the past school year. Those who earned a Commonwealth Secondary Diploma by passing all five sections of the GED exam dress in cap and gown and inspire others to overcome obstacles and plan new goals. In 2009-2010, CLC had a record number of GED graduates. |
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| Stephanie Chuang Fahringer Stephanie Fahringer, development assistant and ABE/GED teacher at Suburban Station CareerLink, earned a B.A. and a teaching certificate at Swarthmore College. She has prior experience as a writing teacher at Laboratory Charter School, Philadelphia; a long-term substitute teacher at Abington Friends School; a tutor in Mandarin Chinese; and an English teacher at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, China. |
Carol
S. Miller Carol Miller serves as associate director and a Move Up teacher. She received a B.S. in Education magna cum laude from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and she earned an M.B.A. from Villanova University, where she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Societies. A former middle school language arts teacher, Carol had a 25-year career in management at a large corporate law firm. She has also had broad, in-depth experience as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations, domestic and international. |
| Susanne Czarnecki Sue Czarnecki is a Move Up teacher. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Ph.D. in molecular biology, and she previously worked as a research scientist and taught biology and chemistry at the college level. |
Sarah
O'Doherty Sarah O'Doherty, an Adult Basic Education teacher, graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in history and a teaching certificate. Thereafter, she attended Arcadia University, where she earned a C.A.S., certifying her to be a school principal, and an M.Ed., with certification as a reading specialist. Sarah was a classroom teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School and the Project Learn School in Philadelphia. She was a reading specialist at the Temple Laboratory School and in the Cheltenham School District, and she served as principal at the Shrewsbury Mountain School in Vermont. Sarah also has experience as a literacy consultant. |
| Patricia Haggerty Patty Haggerty, a GED teacher, earned two bachelor's degrees from Rutgers University, one in art and the other in biology. Patty has experience in adult, elementary, and preschool education. In addition, she has management experience. Before joining our staff, Patty served as a volunteer at CLC. |
Christy
A. Stephens Christy Stephens, our transition and life skills counselor, graduated from Ohio State University with a B.A. in psychology. She taught social studies at Delaware Valley High School, physical education and technology at Central Ohio Christian School, and ninth grade at the Crittenton Community School in Columbus, Ohio. Christy has served as a volunteer at the Saturday Academy in Philadelphia and for HOPE worldwide. |
| Ellen
F. Mason Ellen Mason, a graduate of Antioch College, is an ABE/GED instructor. An experienced teacher, Ellen has also worked as a technical writer, human factors engineer, and electronics technician. In addition, she is a poet who performs with the ensemble Voices of a Different Dream. |
Rebecca
Serfass
Wagner Becky Wagner, executive director, holds a B.A. in medical technology from Shippensburg State University, an M.S. in medical technology from the State University of New York, Buffalo, and a D.Ed. from Pennsylvania State University Harrisburg. She was previously coordinator of the Southeast Professional Development Center, Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13; an ABE/GED and ESL teacher in the Adult Education Program, Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13; an adjunct faculty member at Millersville University and Pennsylvania State University Great Valley; the owner of a computer software and application training company; a substitute science teacher in the Manheim Township, Manheim Central, and Ephrata School Districts; a clinical chemist at St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Care Center; a clinical chemistry instructor at Harrisburg Hospital School of Medical Technology; and a corporate trainer. |
Board of Directors Mary Flournoy, President Retired Librarian, The Free Library of Philadelphia Daniel V. Johns, Vice President Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP Fred Baumert, Treasurer Civil Engineer, Keast & Hood Company Attorney, McCarter & English, LLP Jeffrey P. Bodle Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Vera Da Vinci Program Manager, Division of College, Career, and Technical Education, School District of Philadelphia Joseph Hilton West Area Administrator, The Free Library of Philadelphia Irvin H. Hurwitz Director of Institutional Advancement, National Museum of American Jewish History Ronald Kim Vice President, Information Technology-IT PECO Solutions & Customer Platform, Exelon Corporation Dale Mezzacappa Contributing Editor, Philadelphia Public School Notebook Maria E. Mills-Torres World Languages Content Specialist, Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Development, School District of Philadelphia Karen Michael Vice President, Clinical Services, Keystone Mercy Health Plan AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies Christine A. Rogers-Raetsch Chief Executive, Vanguard Kerry Rowe System Audit Project Leader, Internal Audit, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Anita Scott Vice President, Director of Human Resources, Radian Group Inc. |
Advisory
Board Charlotte Blake Alston Storyteller Mary Anderson CLC Graduate; Student, West Chester University Janice M. Borlandoe Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, University of the District of Columbia John Cugini Business Consultant, IBM Corporation April J. Dungy Barbara Guido Human Resources Consultant Patricia Lewis Special Events Manager, JEVS Human Services Lisa Lusby Director, Passport Advantage, Keystone Mercy Health Plan Helen Mullen Retired Coordinator, Office of Work with Children, The Free Library of Philadelphia Kristen Rantanen Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, JEVS Human Services Natalia Quinteros-Guevara Student, Community College of Philadelphia Tracey Ray Public Coordinator, The Free Library of Philadelphia Harold Russell, D.V.M. Andrea S. Taylor Director of Training, Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University Ellen Wise Peter W. Yenawine Founder and Chief Designer, Crystal Signatures |
| We are profoundly grateful to our many government, foundation, corporate, and individual donors, whose financial support enables CLC to offer its classes and other services free of charge. |
| How
to
Donate Return to the top of the page. |