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Page A6-The Chronicle, Thursday, March 1, 198*
Close-lip
They 'Learn to
By AUDREY WILLIAMS
Chronicle Staff Writer
There's one thing about Experiment In Self-Reliance
lnc.'s Learn to Earn Program that's different from any
other state- or federally-funded program in Forsyth
Count> designed to offer people the opportunity to complete
their high school education.
"We try to deal with kids that nobody else will have
anything to do with, quite frankly," says Bob Law, deputy
director of ESR.
In October 1983, ESR's Learn to Lai n Program began
offering high school dropouts preparatory classes for the
general equivalency diploma (OLD), with focus not only
on youth, says Louise Wilson, executive director of ESR,
but also on adults well into middle age.
Learn To Earn was conceived through the Job Training
Partnership Act (JTPA), which replaced the Comprehensive
Employment Training Act (CETA).
Aldrenia Gaither, director of Learn to Earn, L aw-and
Wilson don't like the comparisons that have been made
^vith Learn to Lai n. Although the rrvam objective r^t^offer
dropouts a chance to complete their high school
education, Learn to Earn, unlike othei GED programs in
Winston-Salem, is cost-free and geared toward the disadvantaged.
And the fact that ESR's program has been compared
to nroerams with tt-u? a ~~u?-? "
f _ ...? ,)uin? c.vui Ia JJI Ul'lVIII, Sil\S
Law. "People like to make comparisons."
Gaither estimates that the passing rate for Learn to
Earn participants is 80 percent. But, says Wilson,
regardless of results, one of the main objectives of Learn
to Earn is to restore self-esteem.
"If we don't give them anything but a feeling of selfworth,
they will have developed confidence," she says,
"and no one can put a pi ice on that."
Learn to Pain, which is sponsored by the city of
Winston-Salem and funded bv the Human Services
Department's JTPA, also urges participants to enter in
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Earn' a living
stitutions of higher learning or seek vocational tr a i n i r? o
Funding for the program allows for 50 students a >ear,
ami presently 17 students,?mostly women from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are enrolled.
At last count, sa\s Gail her, one student enrolled at
Forsyth Technical Institute for vocational training and
two others enrolled at Winston-Salem State University.
"That's what Learn to Earn is all about," says Wilson.
"We want these people to learn so that they can get jobs
to earn a lis ing." ?
In order to enter Learn to Earn, a person must be at
least 16 years old, a Forsyth County resident, a high
school dropout, evaluated by Goodwill Ind. to determine
need and read on at least an eighth-grade level, the level
required to take the GEO examination.
Those below the seventh-grade reading level are referred
to an adult basic education program, says Gaither.
"We've had to turn down a lot of people," says Law,
"and we're concerned about that because some services
" The most rewarding thing to me is seeing peopie
go on to institutions of higher learning ...'
V W r Il ?
? wiuarct tannet
in the county just won't deal with these people at all.*' Not
only does Learn to Earn provide participants evening
and day classes taught by a qualified staff of three instructors,
which include Gait her, Willard Tanner and
James Graham, it also offers personal and vocational
counseling, referral'; service," resource speakers,
workshops and field trips. And when a participant completes
the course. Learn to Earn picks up the tab for the
GED exam.
Classroom instruction includes five basic areas.
Reading, writing, math, social studies and science are all
taught from up-to-date manuals and textbooks that are
of no charge to participants.
Many of the participants dropped out of school
because of pregnancy or problems at home they say thex
just couldn't cope with. So marrying at a young age was
an escape, or joining the workforce proved the solution
at the time.
When Evangelist Annette Rodr iguez, 47, was a young
Social Notes
Hunter-Kimbrough
Cleo Ella Hunter and Johnson III, with Barbara
Landis Mardine Kimbrough Manns serving as the
were married Feb. 18 at matron of honor.
4:30 p.m. at Rising Other bridal attendants
Ebenezer Baptist Church, were Vickie Harriston,
The Rev. B.J. Milton of- Joann Hoover, Barbara
ficiated. Hovis, Dedra Hunter,
Hunter is the daughter of Gloria Little, Lisa RichardRuth
and Julius Hunter, son and Rosa West.
and Kimbrough is the son . ,. .. ...
f . . j r? ? Landis Mardine Kimof
Lenton and Pauline . . , ,
? . brough Jr. served as his
!?. CnS. . . , , fathers best man, with
The bride graduated - ,. D .. _ . .
r a j u- u Sterling Bailey, Robert
from Anderson High KI . _ J
NOrrK. (irponrv Unntor
O ? 1? ? ? 1 - - ? 1 1 '
^gnooi, auenaea Winston- _ _. / _
e . c, t . . , Francis Hunter, Zeno
Salem State University and .. , ...
. , kt u Hunter, .Charles Kimis
employeed at North , , _ ,.
^ i- A o-r c brough, Emerson Manns,
Carolina A&T State ... ? . !
.. . . Clarence West Jr. and
University. The groom ....... .
, . r ? Thomas Williams as ushers,
graduated from Carver
High School and attended After a honeymoon at
A&T. Ceasers Pocono Palace, the
The bride was given in couple will live in Winstonmarriage
by her son, David Salem.
Guys and Dolls celebrate
Members of the Gamma 12; Larry Leon Hamlin,
Chapter of Guys and Dolls director of the Black Repcr
Red Room at Winston'- Nesbit, singer, as special ,
Salem State University on guests. Ruby Blackwell, !
Feb. 19 for a Black History president of the r.amm? <
Month celebration. - Chapter, gave the welcome; '
Hinestine Worley, program 1
The program, titled "A , . 1
ci. di u Li . chairperson, gave the 1
Salute to Black History 1 , , w ,
., ,, . , salute; and Isaac Sims,
Month, was presented :
with Denise Franklin, co- Torch group advisor, in- i
anchor for WXII-Channel troduced the guests. ]
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Annette Rodriguez had to drop out of school In th
left through ESR's Learn to Earn Program (phot<
girl in the eighth grade, she had to leave school because
she got in trouble.
"In those days if you got pregnant you didn't go back
to school," she says.
But since then, Rodriguez, who says she has led a hard
life, decided she wanted to get her GED so she can earn a
degree in theology.
"If I don't pass this test I'm going to cry," she says,
"and then I'll take it again. But I'm going to pass it."
Fifty-eight-year-old Luther Goodwin dropped out ot
high school in the ninth grade and has been a minister fot
10 years now. like Rodriguez, he would like to earn a
degree in theology and is in the practice-testing stage ol
the GED examination.
"You bet I'm going to pass this test," he says. "If it's
passable, I'll pass it."
Tanner,ca program instructor, says not onl\ is his work
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Mrs. Clco H. Kimbrough
Slack History Month
Founded in the early Officers for the year are
1960r,, Guys and Dolls Inc. Blackwcll, president; Willie
with chapters in North and Pernella Keck, secretary;
South Carolina. It is an Charles Blackwell, cororganization
dedicated to responding secretary; CorLhe
provision of broad della Rumph, treasurer;
cultural and educational ex- and Mari Cabiness, finanperiences
and to the support c i a 1 secretary. New
of social and civic respon- members are the Larry
sibilities. Children, adult Holmans, the Donnell
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ana iamny activities are Wynns and Brenda
planned annually. Galloway and her son.
a Three Lowrance Intermediate
School
students (standing, left
to right) Corey Brown,
Christopher Mack and
Burns Conrad joined
Manager A1 Beaty,
guidance counselor
member John Holleman
and Associate
Superintendent Palmer
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ie eight grade, but now she's picking up where she
y by James Parker).
with Learn to Earn enjoyable, he also finds it satisfying.
"The most rewarding thing to me is seeing people go
on to institutions of higher learning," he says, *4ai|d
we're more than glad to help them fill out their financial
aid forms." J
At 31, Doris Quick, a lOth-grade dropout and mother
of four, decided it would be well worth her time and h^i
children's if she entered Learn to Earn.
"1 haveafi eight and a 10-year-old," she says, "and a
lot of times they would come home from school and ask
me questions about math and I couldn't help them." T
Quick, who says her learning abilities were stifled by an
abusive stepfather, is studying to pass the GED so she cao
become a licensed practical nurse.
"I'm raising four children, going to school, and feelinig v
better about myself," Quick says. "Now all I have to etc
is pass the GED so I can go to nursing school." ;
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Book Club of Today j
presents history progr$Bf
The Book Club of Today Heaven," by Robinson as
met at the home of Mrs. as attack on child abuse.
Modesta Earl on East Fifth The second poem was "Tlje
Street Feb. 21 with Mrs. Party" by Paul Laurence
Bronnie Daniels presiding. Dunbar.
Other hostesses were Mrs. ....
Vivien Bright and Mrs. The preS'dent'al s"rPnse
Evelyn Sellers. Mrs. Bar- "as, w?n by ?r- L'?'an
bara Hayes led the devotion Lewis for correctly .dentlfy..
<4i ? c in8 Ma Rainey as the top
using the theme "Just for ,, t . ~
T H ,, blues singer for the First
_ -L , . , quarter of this century.
Following a.- brief J. . , u
. 7 4. ^ During the social hour
business session, the Cur- . . , f ,< . .
. . ~ which followed, members
rent Literature Committee . . . . ' .f
. f . exchangeed friendship gifts,
presented a program featur- . . . ;A.
.u i if < r?i i The meeting ended with
ing the celebration of Black , . ? r
... . w *. w choral reading of a poem
History Month. Mrs. . ^ ? ... ,
w u it ii j i ^ * about the qualities of a
Maybelle Hedgley, commit- ^ ^
tee chairman, and Mrs. Emmalene
Goodwin briefly Members present in additraced
the early history of tion to those already menblack
accomplishments and tioned were Mrs. Martha
gave a brief listing of great Atkins, Mrs. Irma Goodnames
among modern win, Mrs. Annie Hairston,
Afro-Americans. Mrs. Aleise Jessup, Mrs.
Mrs. Edna Revels then Annip ?
. ...... v rvvimwuy, rvirs.
presented Mrs. Mary King Wilma Lassiter, Mrs. Ivye
McCurry, who gave two McDaniel, Mrs. Selena
dramatic readings. Mc- Nichols. Dr. -Barbara
Curry described the first Phillips, Miss Louise Smith
poem, "She Sang tr? Him of and Mrs. Marian Woolen._
_ ? - ???? ^
Local schools hold
scoliosis screenings
Since Feb. 27 and conti- regularities at an early age
nuing until March 9, the when they can easily be corlocal
schools have been rected. Too often, officials
holding scoliosis screening said, back curvatures aw
clinics for fifth- and sixth- not discovered until perm^grade
students. nent damage has been done
Last year, during the and drastic treatment is rescreenings,
51 cases of quired.
scoliosis (spinal curvature) Signs of scoliosis arp
and 17 cases of abnor- found in about 5 to 10 per^
malities of the back were cent of young people*
found. Deformities often develop
The simple, 30-second ex- during the years of early
amination will be done by adoloscence, when the
the school nursing staff of vounc nersnn ornu/c .
w , ? V" J
the Forsyth County Health rapidly.
Department. It requires on- On the day of the e\>
ly that the child bend for- amination, girls should brward.
Nurses observe the ing a bathing suit or haltei;
spine and unually do not top to wear. Boys will
have to touch the body. asked to remove theit
The purpose of the pro- shirts. The examination wiij
gram is to detect spinal ir- be done in privacy.