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Education… Learning a future.
Laurel House members come from a wide
variety of educational backgrounds. Some are struggling to overcome
illiteracy or obtain a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) to complete
their high school education. Others have advanced degrees in
engineering, law and economics from some of the nation’s most
prestigious universities. Regardless of the level of education
achieved, most have had their school and work lives disrupted
by mental illness—often at the age of transition into adulthood.
Laurel House’s Supported Education program exists to help these
members achieve their goals for a career and personal growth
by enrolling in college or other credited, post-secondary educational
program.
The Laurel House program was launched in 1989, the first clubhouse-based supported education program in the nation. The program is based on the belief that education, like employment, is an important goal in and of itself, as well as a stepping stone to recovery. Supported Education staff work in close collaboration with the teachers, counselors and admissions staff of local educational institutions, such as Norwalk
Community College and the Stamford branch of the University
of Connecticut to help members gain admission and succeed in school. Program supports include help with the application process, transportation, tutoring and financial assistance.
More than 150 members have participated in the program since
its start in 1989. Many have gone on to work at independent jobs
in the community since completing their studies. Laurie Appell,
one of our most recent graduates from the MERGE certificate
program in mental health, says of the program, “Laurel House
Supported Education lit up my life.” Laurel House salutes her
and the other graduates from the program as they embark on careers
and achieve their goals for recovery.
Supported Education – Defining Characteristics
- enrolment in one or more college-level full-credit course,
or
- enrolment in one or more post-secondary full-credit course
for a trade or profession
- all courses held in mainstream, integrated
educational settings
- assistance with college applications,
financial assistance applications, transcripts and registration
- on-site support services if desired by member
- private tutoring by peers and/or volunteers
- ongoing support as long as the members wants it
- educational scholarships available to selected members with
financial need
- open eligibility (students must meet the admissions criteria
for the educational institutions they apply to)
The William R. Battery Educational Scholarship Fund
In 2006, Laurel House began efforts to build an endowment to
support the ongoing educational needs of the Laurel House community.
Named in honor of a founding Director, the William R. Battey
Scholarship Fund helps pay the tuition and related educational
costs of any member and selected staff who wish to pursue post-secondary
educational goals.
The Scholarship Fund is intended to accomplish three major objectives:
- Support higher education at Laurel House by providing a direct financial
subsidy of the costs of tuition, books and related expenses to
any member who needs it and providing partial tuition reimbursement
to qualifying staff.
- Encourage Laurel House members and staff
to establish and pursue educational goals that will nurture their
careers and help them become more valuable, contributing members
of both Laurel House and the communities they live in.
- Recognize
and celebrate the accomplishments of both members and staff as
they reach educational benchmarks and/or attain pre-established
goals.
To find out more about the William R. Battery Educational Scholarship
Fund… click
here
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