The Urban Ministry Center proposes establishing an on-site Education Center to provide educational programs and services to program participants. The Education Center would offer adult basic education courses, GED preparation, computer skills training, and supplemental workshops. It would be staffed by an Education Coordinator and volunteers. Required materials include 15 computers, classroom space, and teaching materials. The estimated cost is $48,462. Potential funders are identified, and research supporting the educational needs of the target population and benefits of computer-assisted instruction is summarized. The proposal outlines initial steps to begin a pilot program.

1. Urban Ministry Center
Education Center Proposal
for
Moore Place
Submitted by:
Maria J. Burt, M.Ed.
October 29, 2009

2. The
Future
Future
is not some PLACE
we are going, but
one we are
CREATING.
the PATHS are
not to be found, but
MADE. And the
activity of making
them CHANGES
both the
MAKERS and
their
DESTINATION.
+ John Schaar

3. Contents
Why Should the Urban Ministry Center Have Its Own Education Center? 1
What Would Be Taught? 1
Who Will Staff the Center? 1
What Materials Would Be Required? 3
Costs 4
Who Would Pay for This? 6
How Can We Convince Funders to Pay for the Education Center? 6
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) 6
How Shall We Begin? 7
References Selected Bibliography 8

4. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
Why Should the Urban Ministry Center
Have Its Own Education Center?
To provide Urban Ministry Center program participants with maximum opportunities to increase
their educational levels and essential work skills so that the possibility of their job success and integra-
tion in society will be improved. The quality of consistent, compassionate relationships between vol-
unteer teachers and students will be key. Having educational programs and activities on-site in a safe,
supportive, and quietly purposeful environment will greatly increase the probability that program par-
ticipants will succeed at their educational endeavors. Additionally, the Education Center will become a
focal point for building community among residents, volunteers, and the wider Charlotte community.
The addition of an education center will augment the overall success of Moore Place’s mission to pro-
vide supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals in the Charlotte area.
What Would Be Taught?
• Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses, pre-GED and GED preparation courses using
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI). CAI has been shown to be especially effective with
special populations such as chronically homeless individuals. Individual tutoring, formal and
informal classroom instruction, writers workshops, etc. would also be provided.
• Beginning and advanced computer classes (e.g., basic keyboard skills, introduction to
computers, Microsoft Office Suite at all levels).
• On a regular basis and in small groups schedule:
* field trips
* cultural opportunities
* sporting activities
* cooking classes
* crafts classes
* household management classes
* personal finance classes, including budget and income tax preparation
* classes in professional dress and behavior
* assistance with legal issues
* other topics as they present themselves
Who Will Staff the Center?
• Education Coordinator - This person would be a regular staff member whose duties would
consist of the following:
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5. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
* Coordinate all activities of the Education Center.
* Conduct individual intake meetings with program participants for a structured Ed-
ucation Intake Interview to gather basic information about their education history,
employment history, as well as their plans for the future. Conduct GED educational
assessments and coursework using the Access 21st Century and GED 21st Century
computer programs. Tailor an individualized education program for each resident.
* Create individual student files which contain the intake interview, copies of diplomas,
certificates, etc. as well as other pertinent data.
* Maintain a comprehensive data collection system in Microsoft Access to track in-house
educational activities of the residents as well as their education activities outside the
program.
* Collaborate with Urban Ministry Center volunteer coordinators to recruit and retain
dedicated, regular volunteers.
* Collaborate with program participants’ case managers in order to optimize program
effectiveness.
* Collaborate with other Urban Ministry Center personnel to secure and maintain fund-
ing for the Education Center through sources such as private foundations, etc. Fulfill
reporting requirements for funding agencies as required.
• Regular dedicated volunteers recruited in collaboration with Urban Ministry volunteer
coordinators. Volunteers would be recruited from local churches, corporations, etc. Retired
educators could be a target volunteer population. Volunteers would undergo training and
would commit to working with individual students on a regular basis (preferably weekly). Hire
or seek a volunteer to act as Volunteer Coordinator who could work closely with the Education
Coordinator and other program areas to augment the teaching and learning facets of the
overall Urban Ministry Center program. Some of these volunteers could act as tutors, mentors,
and life skills coaches, while others might provide some of the “extra-curricular activities.”
Tutors would work under the direct supervision of the Education Coordinator in order to
assure that tutoring is consistent with the student’s overall education program.
The benefits of cultivating regular dedicated volunteers are myriad, both for Urban Ministry
Center program participants and for volunteers. Students will benefit from having consistent
educational support from the Education Coordinator and volunteer teachers and mentors.
Conversely, volunteers will draw deep satisfaction from watching program participants grow in
competence and confidence as they become more deeply integrated into society.
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6. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
What Materials Would Be Required?
• Dedicated physical space for computer lab consisting of 15 computers situated in cubicles.
Computer lab would be supervised by staff or trained volunteers at all times. Ideally, the
Education Center would be located in the newly constructed Moore Place in order to provide
access for the residents of Moore Place as well as program participants at the Urban Ministry
Center and SABER treatment program, and to provide access on evenings and weekends.
Because of the expense of the hardware and software, the computers would be used solely for
educational purposes.
• Multipurpose classroom space (separate from computer lab).
• Private and locked office space for Education Coordinator and computer server.
• File cabinets full of teaching materials, including CAI or appropriate self-instruction programs.
• Books.
• Audio-visual equipment.
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7. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
Costs
Cost
Description Quantity Cost Each
(Extended)
Computers
Server - Dell PowerEdge 2900 1 $1,129.00 $1,129.00
Dell Precision T3500 workstation 16 $949.00 $15,184.00
computers (15 for computer lab one for
Coordinator) Windows 7 operating system
17 - Dell E1709W 17-inch 17 $149.00 $2,533.00
Widescreen Flat Panel Monitors
Laser Printer - HP Color LaserJet 1 $1,349.00 $1,349.00
4700 Printer (or equivalent)
Network cables, junction boxes, $1,000.00
ancillary equipment
Software
Steck Vaughn Access 21st Century $5,152.35
Pre-GED software (complete
program - LAN license)
Steck Vaughn GED 21st Century Pre-GED $5,007.45
software (complete program - LAN license)
Microsoft Office Suite 2007 17 $20.00 $340.00
(Professional) - Nonprofit pricing
available through techsoup.org
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 5 $15.00 $75.00
Teaching Materials
Skills Workbooks, etc. $2,000.00
Casio fx-260 Solar Calculators (only 5 $11.45 $57.25
calculator allowed on the GED test)
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8. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
Cost
Description Quantity Cost Each
(Extended)
Furnishings - Computer Lab
Cubicle Partitions $5,000.00
Computer Tables (30” x 48”) 15 $145.00 $2,175.00
Task Chairs 15 $80.00 $1,200.00
Bookcases 3 100.00 $300.00
Dry Erase Board (48” x 96”) 1 $245.00 $245.00
Supervisor Desk 1 $400.00 $400.00
Supervisor Chair 1 $125.00 $125.00
Furnishings - Classroom/Multipurpose Room
Student Desks 15 $150.00 $2,250.00
Teacher Desk 1 $400.00 $400.00
Desk Chair for Teacher 1 $125.00 $125.00
Bookcases 2 100.00 $200.00
Dry Erase Board (48” x 96”) 2 $245.00 $490.00
Audio-Visual Equipment $1,000.00
(television, projector, etc.)
Furnishings - Coordinator’s Office
Desk for Coordinator 1 $400.00 $400.00
Desk Chair 1 $125.00 $125.00
Sitting Chairs 2 $100.00 $200.00
Bookcases 2 $100.00 $200.00
Total $48,462.05
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9. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
Who Would Pay for This?
The Urban Ministry Center has built an excellent reputation in the Charlotte metro area for its com-
passionate and energetic approach to solving the enduring challenge of chronic homelessness among its
citizens. The Center has cultivated a base of both monetary and personal support from local congrega-
tions and other organizations. Additionally, the recent series of articles in the The Charlotte Observer
highlighting the Moore Place project plans most certainly has stirred significant good will and interest
among the people of Charlotte. Additional funds from donations and private foundations are sure to
be forthcoming.
How Can We Convince Funders to Pay for the Education
Center?
The research supporting programs such as the ones described here is extensive.
The following is a brief review of the literature pertaining to the education of populations similar to
the population of Urban Ministry Center program participants.
It is clear that the Urban Ministry Center must move toward providing the full range of program sup-
port for residents of Moore Place (e.g., drug addiction rehabilitation, housing, adult basic education,
job training, transportation, help with family hardships) in order to help chronically homeless people
integrate fully into civil society (Case, Fasenfest, Sari, Phillips, 2005; Nuttall, Hollmen, Staley,
2003). High quality educational programming is especially important for these individuals.
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI)
It is likely that the great majority of Urban Ministry Center program participants may be described as
struggling learners. For a variety of reasons, these individuals have failed at their previous educational
pursuits. Struggling students may be described as deficient problem solvers and information proces-
sors, possessing poor self-concept, as well as having difficulty attending to the task at hand and pos-
sessing motivational deficiencies (“Access 21st Century: Research Foundation”, 2004). For this special
population of students, the best educational programs succeed because they provide a nurturing, self-
paced environment (Davis, 2001).
Computer-Assisted-Instruction (CAI) provides several very important contributions to the achieve-
ment of struggling learners. For example, the Access 21st Century GED computerized GED preparation
program employs a version of the adaptive methodology described by Park Lee (Park Lee, 2003).
This approach adapts or adjusts the instructional level and the amount of skills practice based on the
student’s individual interaction with the program. This approach is highly motivational because it
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10. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
minimizes student frustration and efficiently manages time on task; this, in turn, leads to improved
outcomes. The sophisticated design of the software allows students to affect their own performance.
Additional positive effects of CAI include achievement effects superior to those obtained with
traditional instruction alone, a faster learning rate, increased time-on-task, and a higher level of
engagement in educational pursuits. Because CAI continually provides students with positive
feedback, it also contributes to improved self-concept (“Access 21st Century: Research Founda-
tion”, 2004).
The hope is that combining the best of positive human interaction with the best instructional technol-
ogy will yield excellent results.
How Shall We Begin?
• Maria Burt volunteers to work with Liz-Classen-Kelly, Kathy Izard, and the Urban Ministry
Center Development Office to prepare grant applications to secure initial funding for the
Education Center. Maria will collaborate with the Development Directors to identify additional
funding sources for educational activities and will work with them to obtain those funds so
that the Education Center may grow to serve the best interests of Urban Ministry Center
program participants.
• Maria (or another volunteer) would begin pilot program near or at current Urban Ministry
Center site with 3 - 5 computers and a few students - in a quiet environment.
• Work with the architect to design the computer lab and classroom.
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11. Education Center Proposal
October 2009
References Selected Bibliography
The following is a listing of articles containing research applicable to the education of the population
which the Urban Ministry Center serves. I have referenced several of these articles above.
Access 21st Century: Research Foundation [Electronic (2004). Version], 1-3.
Batchelder, J. Rachel, J. R. (2000). Effects of a Computer-Assisted Instruction Program in a
Prison Setting: An Experimental Study. Journal of Correctional Education 51(4), 324-332.
Case, P., Fasenfest, D., Sari, R., Phillips, A. (2005). Providing Educational Support for Female
Ex-Inmates: Project PROVE as a Model for Social Reintegration. Journal of Correctional
Education, 56(2), 146-157.
Davis, H. C. (2001). Educating the Incarcerated Female: An Holistic Approach. Journal of
Correctional Education, 52(2), 79-83.
Foley, R. M. Gao, J. (2004). Correctional Education: Characteristics of Academic Programs
Serving Incarcerated Adults. Journal of Correctional Educations 55(1), 6-21.
Matthews, S. L. (2003). Where Have All the Children Gone: A Glimpse of Students with Special
Needs in the Prison Classroom. Journal of Correctional Education 54(3), 96-97.
Nuttall, J., Hollmen, L., Staley, E. M. (2003). The Effect of Earning a GED on Recidivism Rates.
Journal of Correctional Education, 54(3), 90-94.
Park, O. Lee, J. (2003). Adaptive Instructional Systems. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook
of Research for Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 651-685). Mahwah, NJ:
Erlbaum.
Paasche-Orlow, M. K., et al. (2005). Educational Attainment but Not Literacy Is Associated with
HIV Risk Behavior among Incarcerated Women. Journal of Women’s Health 14(9), 852-859.
Rose, Chris (2004). Women’s Participation in Prison Education: What We Know and What We
Don’t Know. Journal of Correctional Education (55)1, 78-100.
Sabatini, J. P. (2001). Designing Multimedia Learning Systems for Adult Learners: Basic Skills with
a Workforce Emphasis. National Center on Adult Literacy Working Paper WP00-01.
Schlesinger, R. (2005). Better Myself: Motivation of African Americans to Participate in
Correctional Education. Journal of Correctional Education 56(3), 228-252.
Steck-Vaughn. The Research Basis for Learning 100® [Electronic Version], 1-12.
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