Adult Education

Yes, it’s true, at Hope Partnership for Education, Mom and Dad can go back to school too!

Studies show that the parents’ educational attainment directly impacts that of their children. Hope Partnership’s Adult Education Program helps our neighbors in North Philadelphia prepare to succeed on the GED or HiSET tests and obtain their Commonwealth Secondary School Diplomas. We also offer foundational classes in Reading and Math.

We have high expectations of our learners and ourselves as a team. All of our classes are offered in small groups of no more than five learners. Hope’s volunteer teachers have many years of professional training and classroom experience. We currently have small group classes in Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Computer Basics. We include digital learning and test-taking skills in all subject areas.

Hope’s program is a myPLACE Partner of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Adult Education which refers learners and teachers to us. If you would like to enroll, please call us at (215) 232-5410. You can also access our application here and drop it off after you fill it out.

The mission of Hope Partnership for Education is to break the cycle of poverty through education. Hope’s Core Values are: Respect, Academic Excellence, Compassion, Hospitality, Joy, and Hope. The purpose of the Adult Education Program is to provide a supportive, dynamic, learner-centered environment where learners from our community develop the critical academic skills they need to expand their scope of opportunity and enhance their quality of life. Our program affords the opportunity for learners to learn and teachers to teach and creates Hope for everyone involved.

Hope believes that learners of all ages and backgrounds can empower themselves through life-long learning and become better equipped for the future. We view adult education as essential to the personal security and advancement of the neighborhood we serve. Basic literacy and numeracy protect the interests and assets of the individual and family. Building the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain the Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma (CSSD) opens the door to long-term academic and career advancement.

Acelero Learning

Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM)

CareerLink – North Philadelphia

CCIS of Philadelphia County - North

City Council President Darrell Clark

Congreso

Historic Fairhill

Lillian Marrero Library

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries

New Pathways

Office of Adult Education, City of Philadelphia

Representative W. Curtis Thomas

Senator Sharif Street

The Village of Arts and Humanities

Widener Library

Program Director: Michael Zolkewitz, PhD

Learner Affairs Coordinator: Richard Partee

—-

Ann McDevitt, Social Studies Teacher

Diane Barr, Math Teacher

Gerald Bracken, IT Advisor

Gloria Detweiler, Reading Teacher

Holly McDevitt, Reading Teacher

Jen Bellwoar, Reading Teacher

Logan Mabe, Writing Teacher

M Sutton, Computer Lab Instructor

Marge Neff, Reading Teacher

Mary Schreiner, Math Teacher

Melissa Dribben, Writing Teacher

Michael Zolkewitz, Science Teacher

Tom Kennedy, Math Teacher

Director Contact

Michael Zolkewitz, PhD

Director, Adult Education Program

(215) 232-5410 x 199

[email protected]

Hope is committed to the continuous strengthening and refinement of our Adult Education Program. Through the generous support of the Connelly Foundation, Hope Partnership has developed a curriculum for our program. Our curriculum is aligned with the current national standards. This document is a framework to guide our instruction, support the integration of our teaching across subject areas, and relate our teaching to the requirements of the HiSET and GED tests. These are the two exams approved in Pennsylvania for learners to obtain their Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma (CSSD) if they do not have a high school diploma. We are grateful to the Connelly Foundation for giving us this opportunity to take our work to the next level. As a teaching team, we will be building on this work on behalf of our learners for many years to come.

Most of our classes are scheduled Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We offer four 8-week sessions and one 6-week summer session each year. There are breaks of one or two weeks between sessions for new learner assessment and planning. We accept up to 35 learners for each session. We charge $10 per session so that learners pay a maximum of $50 per year. The highlight of the school year is our Learner Celebration of Success in July. We are closed during the month of August.

Hope Partnership also offers periodic community workshops on topics such as home weatherization, housing preservation, and children and family health. If there is a particular topic you would like us to address in one of these workshops, please call us at (215) 232-5410.

Hope Partnership’s Computer Lab is open to neighborhood residents on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. when the program is in session. During this time we can help you apply for a job, create a resume, or research education and career opportunities.