Item:
Title
Service Contract with Durham Literacy Center
Body
Date Of BOCC Meeting: August 6, 2018
Request For Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve the service contract with Durham Literacy Center (DLC) to provide literacy services for individuals housed inside the Durham County Detention Facility. The Durham Literacy Center contract amount for Fiscal Year 2018-19 is $100,725.63. This past year opportunities were identified to expand services provided by DLC. In the beginning of the partnership, DLC staff members focused on small group classes for incarcerated young people (ages 16 to 24) who wanted to earn GED diplomas or improve their life skills. DLC's main objectives are to provide high quality instruction, instill hope, set goals, and reconnect these young people to the community.
As the school year progressed, enrollment in both High School Equivalency and Job/Life Skills classes steadily increased. From October 2017 to May 2018 total enrollment nearly doubled. In February 2018, enrollment age restrictions were removed allowing detainees of all ages to voluntarily participate. In the 2017-2018 school year, DLC staff made 37 referrals to the Local Re-entry Program (LRC), 14 referrals to Project BUILD (gang intervention program) and 5 referrals to the Durham Literacy Center to enhance detainees' opportunities for success upon their release.
Of the 81 students who enrolled in the Job/Life Skills program, 31 completed a post-class survey. Of the students who completed a post-class survey, 100 percent either agreed or strongly agreed with the statements "Taking this class helped me develop goals for the future" and "Taking this class helped me develop a better plan for reaching my goals." Students enrolled in Job/Life Skills responded positively when they were given individualized help in creating their own resumes, cover letters, and letters of explanation (also known as disclosure letters), tools that they can "take with them"...
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