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ABOUT CEP

CEP provides a variety of adult and family educational opportunities in the diverse Holyoke community. We began in 1991 as an ESL program based in the Latino community. Today our educational programming includes:

 

  • Two levels of Native Language Literacy in Spanish to prepare for the HiSET/GED in Spanish held at our headquarters on Main Street in Holyoke and remote/hybrid. 

  • Three levels of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) day and evening classes held at our main headquarters on Main Street and remote/hybrid. 

  • Digital Literacy skills sets taught at all levels of ESOL and NLL.

  • Student Support Services to assist students and provide resources needed to navigate their personal/professional/and career/job navigation and training goals.

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Why is Adult Education
Important?

  • Educational attainment is directly connected to the economic and social stability of the family.

  • 30% of the population of Holyoke ages 18 and older does not have a high school diploma.

  • 26.4% of the population of Holyoke lives below the poverty level.

  • 45.2% of families in Holyoke with related children under 5 years old live below the poverty level.

  • 71% of single mother households with children under age 5 live below the poverty level.

  • 42.8% of families with children ages 5+ speak language other than English at home.

  • 18.4% of the population of Holyoke speak with limited English proficiency.

"The Literacy classes in Spanish fills a much needed void for Spanish speakers who need basic education."

Allison Castille Rosenblatt~Migrant Education, New England HEP

Advocacy and Referrals

CEP has implemented education projects on issues relevant to community members, such as bilingual education, health, and economic disparity. CEP is a member of the Juntos Collaborative, a network of Adult Basic Education service and workforce development providers. We offer educational counseling and referral services, as well as legal, medical, housing, and personal advocacy for our students. CEP sponsors community workshops (charlas) organized by our staff and volunteers in consultation with parents of Latino children in Holyoke Public Schools.

CEP Staff

CEP contributes to equity in the community by providing much needed ESOL, Native Language, and HiSET classes that not only provide our community members with an educational foundation they can build on but CEP Instructors and staff expose students to community organizational resources and higher education programs to expand their job opportunities and ultimately their quality of life. Additionally, our community of learners form lasting bonds and relationships with their fellow students, CEP Instructors and staff. 

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CEP Staff:

Rose Egan, Executive Director

Sunibel Guerrero, Office Manager/Enrollment Specialist

Kris Gwaltney Program Support Specialist/Bilingual Education & Career Counselor

Francis Jarusiewicz, Community Engagement Specialist

Angie Mercado, Student Support Specialist

Angelika Bay, Lead Instructor, English for Speakers of Other Languages

Krystal Ortiz, Instructor, Native Language Literacy in Spanish/Pre-ESOL Literacy Instructor 

Elda Yvon, Instructor, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Michelle Cruz, Instructor, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

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Four months ago, I moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts, from the Dominican Republic with a lot of dreams to achieve. One of them was to improve my English Skills. For a while, that dream seemed to be far away. Every day I felt intimidated to speak English. I didn't have enough confidence in myself, but I was determined to not give up and that’s how I found the Community Education Project. They received me with a warm welcome. My teacher Angelika, who has an admirable passion for teaching, helped me improve my writing techniques and gain confidence in speaking. Her classes made me feel a purpose again. Later the CEP director allowed me to be part of the CEP Family, as part of their staff in the Office Administrator position. This opportunity has been very enriching for me. I have learned a lot and I can also put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired over the years. I hope my testimony encourages others to not be afraid to learn English and to feel capable of learning with effort and dedication. I’m very grateful for this journey and it makes me happy that now I’m able to help new students.~ Sunibel Guerrero

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CEP Board of Directors:

Darlene Morse

Tom Thacher

Lauren Brunault

Lisa Lapierre 

Phillip Anthony

Besar Bacaj

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Funding

The Community Education Project receives funding from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the City of Holyoke, Community Development Block Grant Program. We also receive generous support from the Nellie Mae Foundation, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Hazeldean Foundation, The Beveridge Family Foundation, MT. Pleasant Foundation, and Peoples Bank. Additional funding for our programming comes from the generous support of private donors. 

 

The Community Education Project is a 501(c)(3) organization and is classified as a public charity.

 

 

To support our educational programming, please click 

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