In 1986, The Care Center opened its doors to provide counseling and support to pregnant and parenting teens in the city of Holyoke. Soon after a GED program was added and the program has grown and evolved to continue to meet the needs of teen mothers in this city. Since its inception, it has worked with thousands of young women creating environments where they can succeed in a city where success eludes many young people. Four main programs are currently held under the umbrella of The Care Center -- The Care Center Education Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens; Rowing Strong, Rowing Together; The Clemente Course in the Humanities; and The Teen Resource Project.
The Care Center Education Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens is an alternative day school and GED program in Holyoke, Massachusetts that works each year with approximately 120 young women, all had dropped out of school, many before getting pregnant.
Under the leadership of Anne Teschner, Executive Director, The Care Center Education Program took on a new model called New Directions, which adopts the best practices of the most effective prep schools in the country. The following four distinctions were seen consistently in the schools we explored: 1) the expectations of students were high and it was assumed that every student would go on to college 2) class sizes were small, 3) all students were required to take arts and humanities classes, and 4) all students were engaged in athletics. The Care Center took this educational philosophy and layered it on top of a GED program. Students currently take classes in computers and Plato, poetry and American history, dancing and painting, wallyball, rowing and yoga, as they work toward passing their GED exam and moving on to college and beyond.
On-site day care, transportation, student support and counseling, higher education and job placement services augment the comprehensive education program that includes academic classes in English and Spanish, ESL, private tutoring, field trips, arts and athletics. Our enhanced programming and expanded focus on higher education has yielded promising results. In the last three years more than 85% of Care Center graduates have gone on to college.
As a result of the New Directions program, Rowing Strong, Rowing Together was founded to enhance the experience of the young women at The Care Center Education Program. The program works in collaboration with the athletic department of Mount Holyoke College giving the students one more college campus experience. Further, with our support, the program has expanded across New England. Currently, a host of other pregnant and parenting teen programs have established partnerships with colleges and universities such as Dartmouth and Yale to incorporate rowing into their course offerings. Our culminating annual event is the Young Parents Regatta on the Connecticut River each August.
A primary goal of Rowing Strong, Rowing Together is to bring a high quality team-building athletic activity to a population of young women who currently have little or no access to the waterfront and the beauty and opportunities that it brings. Publicly highlighting and celebrating the accomplishments of the young women involved is central as well. The rowing program has affirmed our belief that young mothers relish the chance to understand and develop their physical capabilities. Further, we have noticed a significant improvement in the rowers' self-esteem, attendance, and ability to focus on academics.
The Clemente Course in the Humanities is a college course taught by humanities scholars and is offered, free of charge, to students of The Care Center and other low-income women in Holyoke, Springfield, and Chicopee. The course was first developed for educationally and economically disadvantaged people at the Roberto Clemente Family Guidance Center in Manhattan. The founder of the course, Earl Shorris, felt that the humanities brought two important distinctions to the students; a greater sense of possibility than the environment in which they lived, and the critical thinking that comes with examining moral philosophy. The program held at The Care Center is one of only twenty-two offered nationally, the first one offered in New England, and the only one focused exclusively on women learners. The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities funds the Holyoke and other Clemente courses in Massachusetts.
The curriculum includes college-level philosophy, American history, art history, literature, poetry, and critical writing. The project is based on the belief that by studying the humanities, those who are economically and educationally disadvantaged can acquire the cultural knowledge and conceptual skills to improve their personal and social situations and become active participants in civic life.
Students who successfully complete the eight-month course are awarded six college credits from Bard College in New York. There are no educational prerequisites such as a GED or high school diploma. More than 85% go on to college after completing the Clemente Course.
Teen Resource Project (TRP), The Care Center's after-school program for middle-school students, is designed to motivate young people to stay in school and build for a positive future. TRP uses time-honored tools -- theater, writing, and artistic expression -- to help teens understand the meaning of their own experiences. The Teen Resource Project theater troupe New Visions, has between 20-25 members presenting original work to hundreds of teens throughout the city and region. At the heart of all The Care Center programs is the belief that young people want and seek out strong and meaningful relationships with adults. Both the artistic staff from Enchanted Circle Theater and program staff at the Teen Resource Project serve as important mentors and guides for the teens that use the program.