BHR Adult Basic Education awarded $11,750 grant from Dedham Savings Community Foundation
The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program administered by Blue Hills Regional Technical School has been awarded an $11,750 grant from the Dedham Savings Community Foundation. The grant was presented to administrators from the program and the school on January 9 at the former Capen School at 322 Sprague Street in Dedham where the program now holds classes.
The money will be used for an ABE sign for the building, new shades for classrooms and offices, and document readers for the classrooms.
Blue Hills Superintendent Jill Rossetti expressed her sincere gratitude to Dedham Savings for its generosity. “Thank you to the Trustees of the Dedham Savings Community Foundation for the grant. The Blue Hills Adult Education Program provides high school equivalency classes and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes. We appreciate your support of this important work which allows many community members to build better lives for themselves and their families.”
Dedham Savings Executive Vice President & CFO/COO Mark Ingalls explained why Blue Hills’ ABE program was awarded the grant and emphasized ABE’s tremendous value to the students ‘The Dedham Savings Community Foundation is honored to partner with the Blue Hills ABE program in support of their mission and passion for providing English as Second Language (ESOL) and other adult education at their beautiful new location at the former Capen Elementary School. The energy and enthusiasm from the students, teachers and administrators makes us very excited for the future of the students, many of whom are immigrants, and for this program which meets a tremendous need in Dedham and our surrounding communities.’
Attending the grant presentation were Supt. Rossetti, Mr. Ingalls, Dedham Savings Senior Vice President / Senior Marketing Officer Liz Bissell, Dedham Savings Marketing Technology Specialist Hugh O’Connell, ABE Director Susan Haberstroh, ABE Site Coordinator Tammy MacDonald, and standing in for Blue Hills Regional District School Committee Chair Thomas R. Polito, Jr. of Dedham was Vice Chair Eric C. Erskine of Braintree.
The ABE program encompasses free high school equivalency classes to prepare students for taking the HiSET test and free ESOL classes. Students learning is enhanced by field trips, guest speakers, community activities, computer training, career fairs, resume writing workshops and mock interviews, educational and career advising, and practice with doing everyday tasks like calling teachers, doctor’s offices and businesses.
For more information about the ABE program, please visit www.bluehills.org and go to Adult Basic Education under the Community tab on the home page.