The proud graduates pictured above have completed adult basic education or high school equivalency (HSE/GED) programs with our newest grantee, Revive South Jersey.
Education has always been the largest segment of the Domenica Foundation’s grant program. Our support for Revive is our first foray into education for adults.
Revive is a full-service organization that supports individuals and families “by meeting their housing, physical, and spiritual needs and strengthening their family units,” according to the organization’s mission statement. We’re supporting one portion of this comprehensive work: Spanish-language HSE/GED preparation.
Offering high school equivalency preparation in learners’ first language “allows for better retention, quicker learning, and faster completion of the diploma,” said Jonathan Cummings, Revive’s executive director.
“With our community being over 50 percent Hispanic, this program fills a specific need unique to our area,” Jon went on to say. “There are no other HSE/GED classes in Spanish in all of South Jersey.”
The program has two tiers. Learners who don’t yet have the Spanish literacy and math skills to be ready for the HSE/GED program go into the Plaza tier: primary- and secondary-level education in Spanish, culminating in a certificate from the Mexican consulate.
In the past year, over 100 students participated in one of these two tiers. Of these, 15 earned their HSE/GED in Spanish, and 18 earned the Mexican primary and secondary certificate.
One recent graduate is Beatriz Adriana López, pictured here. Beatriz came to the US from Mexico in 2001. Working in low-paying jobs, she dreamed of achieving a better life for her children. In only four months in the Revive program, Beatriz earned her HSE/GED in Spanish. With this diploma, she was able to earn a certificate as a home health aide.
Beatriz is now studying English at Revive and at Rowan College. “I feel very happy and motivated,” she said. “One of my future goals is to be a medical assistant. I know I will achieve it.”
Stories like this abound among Revive students and graduates. “These people came to this country for a better life for their children,” said Elena Piperno, Domenica Foundation director. “It’s so brave of them to put in the work to lift up their whole family. I really admire their effort and determination!”
“Revive South Jersey seemed like the right choice for our first adult education grantee,” Elena added. “No one else is offering these programs in the students’ native tongue. Revive is truly meeting people where they are, and we love that!”