Selfless Words & Actions
can Illuminate the Whole Universe
Contact : (213) 263-2744
Selfless Words & Actions can Illuminate the Whole Universe
Poverty Solutions, Inc. GED-2-College Program was designed to decrease the incidence of uneducated and undereducated youth, adults and veterans residing across the target areas of Los Angeles County. Poverty Solutions' GED-2-College Pathway project empowers low-income youths, families, women, veterans and minorities who are economically disadvantaged and underserved in Los Angeles County in particular and Southern California at large to take initiatives that would move them permanently out of poverty and into sustainable self-sufficiency.
Our program starts with P-Solutions traditional weekly workshops called "Divest Poverty Workshops." There, participants who are 18 years of age and over, but have neither a high-school diploma nor GED are recommended to enroll into our GED preparation, test taking, and college application program called "GED-2-College Pathway." Once enrolled, participants attend classes on the campus of Los Angeles Southwest College (our partnering facility) for 20 weeks before taking the GED exam. The program offers the opportunity to earn their GED as well as gain admission into a 2 or 4 year college. When a participant who has passed the GED test and is not interested in going to college, P-Solutions' staff will teach participants how to write a resume, fill out a job application, and prepare for a job interview. In addition, P-Solutions have an ongoing counseling program for program graduates when entering college. Participation in our GED-2-College Pathway is free. Participants are also encouraged to join P-Solutions' computer training, life-skills classes, personal development, basic finances and budgeting, household finance management as well as creative writing classes.
With unemployment in many urban cities as high as 17%, at-risk youths are unable to obtain and/or maintain stable employment. In 2010, the state of California showed 68.3% of students graduated and 20.1% dropped out. For the LAUSD, the dropout rate was 34.9%, above the statewide figure of 18.2 percent. Of the estimated 107,000 homeless veterans nationwide, an estimated 23,275 reside in California (21.75% of the national homeless veteran population). This number has already increased as a result of the U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan. At-risk youth, veteran and adults are economically disadvantaged because of lack of basic academic background to acquire jobs. This group of low income individuals who are without high school diploma faces significant obstacles. Studies have shown that targeted strategies such as simplified learning process, support service, and clear strategies could succeed in helping these individuals excel in education, obtain and retain employment. A program encompassing peoples' needs as well as their aspirations requires threading multiple disciplines into a comprehensive and individualized program.