A Woodhaven-based educational facility is helping women in the community earn a GED without having to leave town.
Photo courtesy Ed Wendell
An affordable education program is helping Woodhaven women make the grade.
For only $30, women 19 years old and up can enroll in special classes that will prepare them for the high school equivalency diploma test. formerly known as the GED. The classes are held Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center at 87-04 88th Ave.
In order to attend classes this fall, interested applicants must register at the center on Monday, Sept. 8 or Tuesday, Sept. 9, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Classes will begin on Thursday, Sept. 11.
After the $30 registration fee, there is no additional cost to participate in the program. Students then take the high school equivalency test when they feel that they are ready, organizers said.
“When women first come to our center they see the Wall of Fame – pictures of women who have studied here and gotten their high school equivalency diploma,” said Sister Cathy Stare, Program Coordinator at SSNDEC. “Above all of the pictures are the words ‘If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.’ That is the first lesson women learn when they come to our center.”
One of SSNDEC’s recent success stories, Lisette Torres, returned last week to thank the Sisters and show them the transcript of her test scores.
“I learned more here than I could have imagined,” Lisette said of her time at the center. “I owe it all to the Sisters.”
Lisette scored very well on the exams, and now that she has her diploma, she said she is continuing her studies at York College with a goal of becoming a Registered Nurse.
“That little piece of paper was holding me back, but now that I’ve got it, I am pursuing my dream,” Lisette said. “[The teachers are] very understanding, very inspiring. They make you feel that you’re special and they give you confidence. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me.”
The School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center is located close to Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue. It is accessible via the J train and the Q56 bus – one block from Jamaica Avenue – and the Q11, Q52Ltd, Q53Ltd, and QM15 buses along Woodhaven Boulevard. The school can also be reached via Atlantic Avenue and the Q24 bus.
“Job opportunities expand significantly when women receive their diplomas,” Sister Cathy Stare said. “Women who come here look to go on to college, get better jobs, and give their children better lives. That diploma helps them do all of that.”
Anyone with questions was asked to call SSNDEC at 718-738-0588 or email them at SSNDEC@aol.com.
