Show Basic Education Program I Reconvenes New Hope By LESLIE W W. W KING Seventy-eight Seventy adult students of the Davis County Basic Education Education Education Edu Edu- cation Program listened in discouragement discouragement discouragement dis dis- as Milton coordinator of or the program an answered answered answered an- an a question put to him by byone byone byone one of the participants IT IS TRUE we are out of funds Mr said but we will reconvene on Jan 3 in hopes that something will work workout workout workout out financially so we can continue contin contin- ue the program W One woman confided privately that if it weren't for this program program program pro pro- gram I dont don't know what Id I'd do She had tears In her eyes as she spoke SHE EXPLAINED that she had heart trouble and could not do housework or the the only work she knew knew to to earn a living for herself and her two children when her husband left her She had been forced to seek welfare For her the basic education education education edu edu- cation program held the only hope of a future she could look forward to to become self sup sup- porting She already had plans to take a civil service exan examination nation to go into office work after completing completing com com- her education ANOTHER STUDENT head of ofa a large family said that be because because because be- be cause he couldn't read well enough to fill out Cerms and In Interpret interpret interpret in- in written Instructions he couldn't get a job although he was qualified for the types of work he applied for To him the adult basic education education education tion opened a path toward his being again able to hold a job and support his family ADULT BASIC Education in Davis County began in the spring of 1965 with an eight week ses ses- sion By May 1966 operation with a 32 week course scheduled In 1966 under an OEO grant the program received approximately approximately approximately which was less than half of the proposed budget submitted BY THE TIlE FALL term the program program program pro pro- gram began to show signs of floundering financially Desperately Desperately Desperately Des Des- the Davis Board of Ed Education Education Education Ed- Ed and the county welfare department sought further fund fund- ing While yet having nothing definite the decision was made to continue the classes on the assumption that additional money money money mon mon- ey will become available Everyone Everyone Everyone Ev Ev- connected with the program program program pro pro- gram feels it must roust somehow be continued for the students Mr l commented Suc Suc Success Success cess is within their reach They see hopes for their future within their grasp hopes for improving ing themselves their status their work OF THE 78 ENROLLED in the program 56 GG were born in the United States The a average v ve e rage rag e grade completed for the group Is the sixth grade According to national statistics statistics statistics statis statis- tics the hard core of the unemployed unemployed unemployed in every state is made up of adults with less than an eighth grade education AS THE BILL for welfare an annually annually annually an- an mounted throughout the United States a natural de development development development de- de grew out of or the vocational vocational vocational voca voca- retraining tried out under the Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 An Economic Economic Economic Eco Eco- Opportunity Act became law In 1964 calling for the appropriation of funds to help adults finish their basic education tion In Davis County students were brought brough into the pro program g ram through house to house contact by recruiters working In poverty poverty ty pockets at the northern end of the area THE fIHE THE DAVIS COUNTY Welfare Department immediately re referred referred referred re- re a sizable number of its clients to the program Following the successful s s f u I completion of the first eight week course the most effective effective effective tive means of recruitment was the utilization of the enthusiasm of those already attending according ac- ac circulated circulated circulated cording to a newsletter by the Davis School Dis Dis- AT THE CLOSE of 1965 19 heads of families were removed from welfare rolls because they i obtained work following completion completion com coin of their basic education Many of those enrolled in the adult high school to continue their their- education There are other areas of benefit benefit ben ben- I indirectly concerned with i the individual student enrolled in the classes One woman commented commented commented com com- that her schooling en- en I Soo Seo NEW HOPE on Page Pago 2 MI J J L r I I 1 t r b br I I r s I I I IL t r L S A i i. i 11 I 1 f 1 P I 1 TEACHING WELFARE STUDENTS As a part of the Davis County Welfare program program program pro pro- gram classes are being given at Clearfield High School in basic English and other subjects subjects sub sub- to help those who are on the Welfare rolls advance into a supporting self tion Shown teaching and assisting the teachers of this class are standing Milton Continued from Front Page I her son to remain in regular school when he had planned to drop out ANOTHER SAID he he sees his j i children become more interested interest interest- I ed in their own education as he looks forward to holding a job I himself as a result of the pro pro- gram I Phyllis a mother of 15 and grandmother to 36 has lived in Davis County for the past 26 I years She has attended the I classes regularly since their inception I OF HER MRS Golda Richards Richards Richards Rich Rich- ards the language arts teacher says You Tou wouldn't know she was the same person When she first came to us she was so timid she wouldn't speak and would hang her head Now look at her Phyllis stood in the front of the room before her fellow classmates to read two poems then spoke briefly about herself and what the class had done for her CARLOTTA mother of ten with three in service has at- at Shawn coordinator Ken Muir i instructor Dean Roberts instructor and Mrs Rulon M. M Richards instructor Seated in the back corner are Bruce Sigvardt social worker and Woodrow Taylor Director of the Davis County Welfare Department Not shown is Dale Harrison another instructor tended class regularly because she likes learning much that I didn't know before Another student Iary Mary mother moth moth- er of seven plans to complete I her education now so that she will be ready to go to work when i her children are grown She Shei I says in commenting about her j i desire to stay home with them Its It's hard for the kids to not have a father and then to have no mother too THE DA DAVIS VIS County School i District has been the sponsoring sponsoring sponsoring sponsor sponsor- ing agency in cooperation with the county welfare department the county health department and the Utah State Employment Office Purpose of the project is primarily primarily marily to provide basic educational educational educational opportunities in English reading and computation for adults and to substantially raise their educational level to in increase increase increase in- in crease their potential for more productive and more profitable employment AS THEIR increased levels of achievement warrant It ap approved approved approved ap- ap proved standardized tests In Interest interest interest in- in terest and aptitude tests are of- of so they may enter training programs available commensurate commensurate commensurate with job openings and job training programs under Title 5 of the OEO The program is under the supervision su supervision supervision su- su of Roy Evans administrator administrator administrator admin admin- of the Adult Basic Education Education Edu Edu- cation with Milton l co- co j TEACHING THE TIIE three different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent educational performance mance levels that exist among the j i ip p present sent participants are Dale Harrison Golda Richards and Dean Roberts I Several years ago Raymond I M M. M Hilliard late director of the Cook County Department of Public Aid in Illinois said If yf the staggering burden of relief today is to be reduced it is essential that the educational level of these persons be up up- up graded This is an age of crash programs but but if ever a crash program was needed it is needed needed needed need need- ed now HE MIGHT l have been speaking speaking speaking speak speak- ing about the present status of the Basic Education Program in Davis Davis' County although he made the state statement ment about his own community before the federal government laid emphasis upon solving the adult under Hon tion problem lk Ik |