[Service Delivery Committee on October 28, 2026]
[00:00:15]
UM, IT IS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER THE 28TH, AND THE TIME IS 2:00 PM.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, CHAIR OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE, AND I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
UM, AND THEN IN CHAMBERS, WE HAVE STAFF WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PINZARELLA'S OFFICE, STAFF WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, STAFF COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SALINA'S OFFICE, AND STAFF COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PROTEM.
SO THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE, IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, AND IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THE CHAIR AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN CHAMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 551-127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER- MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA TEAMS. TODAY, WE WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM MS. MARGARITA GAN - GAR- GARDIA WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ADULT LITERACY ON THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE LITERACY RATES IN HOUSTON.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER AND STAFFS, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE MEETING, UN- UN- UNTIL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS, ARE PRESENT IN CHAMBERS REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE JOIN- JOINING VIRTUALLY, TYPE REQUEST TO SPEAK, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO TYPE YOUR QUESTION IN THE CHAT POD, UM, BECAUSE THE MICROPHONE, I MEAN, THE, UM, SOUND IS NOT WORKING.
AND SO, BUT WHEN YOU DO SPEAK, UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE AND ENSURE YOUR CAMERA IS ON.
YOU WILL BE ADVISED WHEN THE TWO MINUTES HAVE EXPIRED.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, IF YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK, THE LIST IS UP THERE AT THE TABLE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER AND WE WILL CALL THAT SPEAKER UP ONCE, UM, THE PRESENTATION IS COMPLETE.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UM, VICE CHAIR, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR, BUT I DO NOT.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA CALL, GO AHEAD AND CALL MS. UM, OUR SPEAKER UP.
MS. MAGGIE, YOU CAN COME ON UP.
I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND THEN I - CAN YOU PICK ONE MIC? YEAH, ONE OF THE MICS.
SO THERE'S A BUTTON, UH - THERE YOU GO.
I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR ADULT LITERACY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT Y'ALL ARE GIVING, UH, ME AND MY TEAM TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE AMAZING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THROUGH THIS, UH, INITIATIVE IN THIS OFFICE.
SO THE GOAL FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS TO SHARE OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE LITERACY RATES ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TO SHARE HOW WE'RE COORDINATING, STRENGTHENING, AND CONNECTING LITERACY, UM, EC- ECOSYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE, UM, CITY OF HOUSTON, AND TO CONVEY HOW READING, WRITING, DIGITAL SKILLS, FINANCIAL AND HEALTH LITERACIES ARE ENHANCED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
SO WHAT'S THE NEED? NATIONALLY, THERE ARE 48 MILLION ADULTS THAT ARE READING BELOW THE SIXTH GRADE LEVEL.
ADULTS WITH LOW LITERACY ARE MORE, TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY TO FACE UNEMPLOYMENT AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER EARNINGS.
IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE, NEARLY ONE IN THREE ADULTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH BASIC AND/OR DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS.
THIS DIGITAL LITERACY GAPS AFFECT THE EMPLOYMENT AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND THE BE - THE...
I'M SORRY, THE DEMAND CONTINUES TO GROW, CONFIRMING THE URGENT NEED FOR COORDINATED ADULT LEARNING PATHWAYS IN HOUSTON.
SO WHAT'S OUR VISION? OUR VISION IS HOUSTON WILL BE A CITY WHERE EVERY ADULT HAS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION AND RESOURCES EMPOWERING EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH THE LITERACY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO THRIVE IN WORK, LIFE, AND COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT'S MOLD'S ROLE IN THIS? IT'S TO ENHANCE, ENGAGE, BUILD AND SUPPORT.
WE'RE GONNA ENHANCE THE ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS FOR ADULT LITERACY AMONG THE LEADERS, POLICY MAKERS, EMPLOYERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THE UNIQUE UNDERSTANDINGS
[00:05:01]
OR THE NEW NEEDS AND CHALLENGES THAT ARE POSITIONED TO PROVIDE...WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE PROVIDERS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES AND ARE POSITIONED TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
WE'RE GONNA BUILD PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO LEVERAGE THEIR RESOURCES AND OURS FOR LITERACY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT THOSE INITIATIVES THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING, FOSTER, UH, COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS AND MAXIMIZE LEARNER ACHIEVEMENTS.
SO WE FOCUS OUR WORK AROUND FOUR CRUCIAL FUNCTIONAL AREAS, HEALTH LITERACY, FINANCIAL LITERACY, BASIC LITERACY, AND DIGITAL LITERACY.
SO IN 2021, MOL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE B- BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION CREATED THE HOUSTON ADULT LITERACY BLUEPRINT.
AND WITHIN THIS BLUEPRINT, THEY CREATED SEVEN GOALS.
THESE SEVEN GOALS ARE WHAT DRIVE OUR WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
GOAL NUMBER ONE IS AWARENESS AND ACTION.
ARE WE MAKING THE COMMUNITY, THE POLICY MAKERS AWARE OF THE NEED AND ARE WE TAKING ACTION ON IT? SO OUR ALIGNMENT IS WE'RE AMPLIFYING THE ADULT LITERACY C- CITYWIDE THROUGH OUTREACH EVENTS AND COMMUNICATION.
ARE WE TAKING DATA POINTS AND ARE WE USING THOSE DATA POINTS TO DRIVE OUR INITIATIVES AND OUR SERVICES? SO WE ARE CONNECTING THE PROVIDERS AND THE PARTNERS TO CREATE A UNIFIED ACCESSIBLE SERVICE NETWORK.
SO ARE WE CONNECTING THE LEARNING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AS A SYSTEM, NOT JUST FOCUSING ON THE ADULT? WE KNOW LITERACY IS FROM TODDLER ALL THE WAY UP TO, TO ADULTS.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A TEAM TO PROVIDE THE MULTI-GENERATIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES? WE'RE, WE'RE, WELL, WE ARE EQUIPPING PROVIDERS THROUGH TRAINING, COLLABORATION AND SHARED RESOURCES.
WORKFORCE SKILLS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CONNECT THOSE CLASSES AND THOSE, UM, ADULT LEARNERS TO WORKFORCE O- OPPORTUNITIES? WELL, WE'RE STREAMLINING PATHWAYS SO ADULTS CAN EASILY FIND AND MOVE BETWEEN THE SERVICES.
WE KNOW THERE'S A DIGITAL NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT? WE'RE ACTIVATING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO DELIVER RESPONSIVE AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING.
COMMON DATA SERVICE PRACTICES.
WHAT ARE WE DOING SO THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA POINTS AND SO WE'RE ALL ADDRESSING THE SAME NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON? WHERE WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A UNIFIED INTAKE AND REPORTING TOOL TO GUIDE THE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS.
SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES AND PRO- PROGRESS.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T A ONE AND DONE? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SUSTAIN THE RESOURCES AND THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THROUGHOUT THE CITY? WELL, WE'RE DEVELOPING PATHWAYS CONNECTING THE LITERACY SKILLS TO THE JOBS, THE TRAINING AND ECONOMIC, UH, MOBILITY.
SO THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE JUST A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IN OUR WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
WELL, WE'RE EXPANDING THROUGH EVENTS, OUTREACH, AND CONSTI - CONSISTENT PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE HEALTH, THE DIGITAL, THE FINANCIAL, AND THE BASIC LITERACY.
WE'RE GROWING PARTICIPATION ACROSS THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO REINFORCE THE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND THE DEMAND.
WE HAVE NEARLY 20 ACTIVE PARTNERS IN HIGH NEEDS COMMUNITIES WHERE LITERACY LEVELS ARE HISTORICALLY LOW, AND WE'RE INCREASING OUR ACCESS TO LITERARY, LITER- LITERACY RESOURCES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH FOUR DIGITAL LABS IN WHICH THEY ARE PROVIDING HEALTH, FINANCIAL, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE DIGITAL, UM, CLASSES THAT ARE SO, UM, NEEDED.
TO DATE, FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST, THEY HAVE DELIVERED 63 CLASSES WITH A TOTAL OF 1,071 ADULTS SERVED.
THE ADULT LEARNING THEMES, ONCE AGAIN, ARE DIGITAL, FINANCIAL, AND GED ALIGNED DIRECTLY WITH THE WORKFORCE READINESS.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THESE PICTURES THAT WE HAVE INCLUDED.
THESE ARE REAL PICTURES FROM OUR EVENTS.
THE TOP, UM, CORNER IS A DIGITAL LITERACY CLASS THAT WE PROVIDED AT ALIF, UM, REGIONAL LIBRARY TO SENIOR CITIZENS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY REQUESTED.
WE WERE ABLE TO TURN AROUND WITH, UM, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, AND IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE THAT CLASS.
UM, FOLLOWING UP THIS CLASS, THEY REQUESTED ADDITIONAL CLASSES, UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE IN OUR WORK, WE'RE SEEING THAT THERE'S A HIGH NEED OR HIGH REQUEST FOR, UM, DIGITAL CLASSES WITH THE SENIOR CITIZENS.
UM, THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM IS A FINANCIAL CLASS THAT WE ALSO PROVIDED AT ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES AT YOUNG, UM, LIBRARY.
[00:10:01]
IT WAS ALSO BASED ON A REQUEST AND BASED ON THE NEEDS WITHIN, UM, THAT COMMUNITY.EVERYONE ON DIGITAL SKILLS PROGRAMMING.
SO WE ARE VERY PROUD WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, UM, ENGAGED IN WITH OUR, UM, DIGITAL LABS.
THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SAW THERE WAS A DIGITAL NEED IN THE CASHMERE GARDENS AREA.
SO PARTNERING UP WITH CASHMERE, UM, LIBRARY, WITH WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER AND WITH MOLE, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A THREE-WEEK COURSE IN WHICH THE ADULT LEARNERS WERE RECEIVING DIGITAL LITERACY CLASSES, AND AT THE END OF THOSE THREE WEEKS, THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE HOME A BRAND NEW LAPTOP.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST CLASS, AND WHEN I TELL YOU THESE ADULTS WERE GIDDY AS THEY WERE OPENING UP THE BOXES OF THEIR NEW LAPTOP, UM, THEY WERE ECSTATIC, AND AS WE WERE TAKING PICTURES, THEY WERE LIKE, "TAKE A PICTURE OF ME, TAKE A PICTURE OF ME." SO WE SAW THE NEED.
WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER UP WITH OUR COMMUNITY CENTER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT IS HIGH REQUESTED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ONCE AGAIN, WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, WITH WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GED CLASS AT CASHMERE NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY.
IT WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE OF 2026.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A TOTAL OF 37 STUDENTS L - UM, ENROLLED IN THE COURSE, AND WE ARE PLANNING A BIG GRADUATION IN DECEMBER.
EVAN IS THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE CLASS.
HE'S VERY PATIENT AND HE IS WALKING THEM THROUGH, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY NEED TO, UH, THEY NEED TO TAKE.
ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT.
SO IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT PROVIDING THE CLASSES THAT WE KNOW ARE NEEDED ACROSS THE CITY, IT'S ALSO ABOUT PROVIDING, UM, EVENTS SO THAT WE'RE SHOWCASING, WE'RE, UM, ADVISING, WE'RE, WE'RE INFORMING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE DIFFERENT LITERACY OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE CITY.
SO IN SEPTEMBER, IT IS, UM, KNOWN AS THE ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY WEEK.
I BELIEVE IT WAS SEPTEMBER THE 13TH THIS WEEK, THIS YEAR, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND SO IN COLLABORATION WITH HOUSTON CITY COLLEGE, WE CREATED AN EVENT AT THE NORTH FOREST CAMPUS IN WHICH WE HAD OVER 30 VENDORS SHOW UP AND OVER 66 PARTICIPANTS ATTEND.
UM, THIS WAS A FAMILY LITERACY EVENT, SO WE DID HAVE ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES FOR THE LITTLE, UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ADULTS.
AND SO THIS WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IT WAS OUR BIG EV - UH, BIGGEST EVENT THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'RE ALSO IN TALKS WITH THEM TO CREATE ANOTHER EVENT AT ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR CAMPUSES, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
SO WE CAN'T DO THE WORK IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE NEED IS.
AND SO WHAT WE NEEDED IS WE NEEDED A CENTRALIZED PLACE IN WHICH WE GATHER DATA.
AND SO THE DATA COMES FROM OUR DIGITAL LITERACY LABS.
IT ALSO COMES FROM REQUESTS AT, UM, TABLINGS, AND ALSO COMES FROM OUR PARTNERS.
SO WE NEEDED ONE SYSTEM WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HOUSE ALL THIS AND WE WERE ABLE TO PULL REPORTS TO SEE WHERE THE NEED IS.
UM, THE THING ABOUT THIS, UM, UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS INTAKE SYSTEM IS WE'RE ABLE TO PINPOINT WHAT IS THE HIGHEST, UM, REQUESTED CLASS, LITERACY CLASS, AND ALSO WHERE ARE WE SEEING THE BIGGEST NEED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO, UM, RE - PULL QUARTERLY REPORTS.
SO THIS CAME UP BECAUSE WE SAW, UM, A BIG NEED FOR BASIC LITERACY, JUST BASIC READING, WRITING SKILLS THAT WERE BEING, UM, REQUESTED OVER AND OVER.
OUR PARTNERS DO NOT HAVE BASIC LITERACY CLASSES.
THEY DO HAVE THE FINANCIAL, THE HEALTH, THE, THE DIGITAL.
UM, THEY DO OFFER GED, BUT THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE FOR THE BASIC LITERACY.
SO OUR THOUGHT WAS, "WELL, LET'S FIND RETIRED TEACHERS.
LET'S BRING THEM IN AS VOLUNTEERS THROUGH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND LET'S TRAIN THEM UP SO NOW THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE OR SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION TO THOSE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THE BASIC LITERACY SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THEM TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP." UM, GOING BACK TO THE GED CLASS, UM, WE NOTICED THAT, UM, IN SPEAKING WITH WESLEY, WITH THEIR, UM, ESMERALDA, WHO'S A COORDINATOR, AND WITH ETHAN, WHO'S THE INSTRUCTOR, THEY HAVE ABOUT NINE TO 10 GED ADULT LEARNERS WHO STILL HAVEN'T PASSED THE MATH TEST.
THEY'VE PASSED ALL OTHERS, BUT THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THAT MATH TEST.
SO JANICE AND I AND, AND THE TEAM WENT BACK AND WE STARTED BRAINSTORMING.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THEM? WELL, WE CAN SUPPORT THEM BY FINDING A VOLUNTEER, A RETIRED TEACHER WHO HAS HIGH SCHOOL MATH EXPERIENCE AND WE CAN PARTNER THEM UP WITH WESLEY.
WE HAVE FOUND THAT VOLUNTEER AND SHE'S READY TO GO
[00:15:01]
AND WE'RE READY TO PLACE HER THERE.AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UM, ADULT LEARNERS WHO WILL BE GRADUATING IN DECEMBER AND OBTAINING THEIR GED.
UM, WE DO ASK THEM TO COMPLETE THE STANDARD HPL VETTING PROCESS, AND THERE IS STRUCTURED TRAINING, UM, THAT WE PROVIDE TO ENSURE CONSISTENT HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONS.
WE DO NOT WANT TO GET A VOLUNTEER TO COME IN AND SAY, "OKAY, GO HERE AND DO WHAT YOU CAN." THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE FOR ANYBODY, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
WE'RE ABOUT, WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN YOU, WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU, AND WE'RE GONNA CHECK IN ON YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE PROVIDING, THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PRO- PROVIDING THE ADULTS IS EFFECTIVE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
SO WHAT'S OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS COMING UP? WE WANT TO EXPA- EXPAND THE CITYWIDE LITERACY AWAR- AWARENESS THROUGHOUT THE COORDINATED OUTREACH, MARKETING, AND PRESENCE IN ALL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE WANT TO EMBED MORE MULTI-GENERATIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES INTO DIGITAL BASIC LITERACY PATHWAYS BY FOCUSING ON FAMILY-BASED LEARNING RESOURCES.
WE WANT TO BUILD CLEAR WORKFORCE ALIGNED SKILL PATHWAYS AND STRENGTHEN REFERRAL SYSTEMS WITH WORKFORCE, UM, AGENCIES.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST, UM, TASK OR INITIATIVES.
WE DON'T WANT OUR CLASSES TO BE A ONE AND DONE.
IT HAS TO BE, "HERE'S THIS CLASS.
NOW HERE'S THE PATHWAY THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION, TO GO INTO WORKFORCE, OR JUST FOR ENJOYMENT, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WHO TAKES OUR CLASSES WANT TO GO INTO THE WORKFORCE AND CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION.
THEY JUST WANT TO BETTER THEIR OWN SET OF SKILLS.
SO WE ARE WORKING CURRENTLY WITH TWO OF OUR PARTNERS TO BUILD PATHWAYS IN WHICH WE GIVE THEM THE OPTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEP.
GUESS WHAT? WE CAN ROUTE YOU TO HCC.
WE CAN ROUTE YOU TO, UM, WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER.
THEY HAVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS IN WHICH YOU CAN NOW TAKE THAT NEXT STEP.
INSTEAD OF LEAVING THEM, UM, YOU FINISHED YOUR CLASS, CONGRATULATIONS, GO FORTH AND BE PRODUCTIVE, WE'RE GIVING THEM THOSE PATHWAYS SO NOW THEY HAVE AN OPTION, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THEM WITH OUR NEW DATA SYSTEM.
WE ALSO WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES THROUGH STAR - STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS, VOLUNTEER SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT, AND PURSUE GRANTS SUPPORTING THE LONG-TERM PROGRAM GROWTH.
THANK YOU, MS. GORDIA, FOR, UM, THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE CONNECTING LITERACY TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, WHEN THEY GET THEIR GED, THEY HAVE A PATHWAY TO, UM, GETTING A JOB SO THAT THEY CAN BE PRODUCTIVE ASSIST - UM, CITIZENS.
UM, BEFORE YOU STARTED YOUR PRESENTATION, WE WERE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
UM, AND SO WE DO HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
COUNCILMEMBER ALCORN, IT'S ON YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE TEAM AND KIND OF GO THROUGH A LOT OF THIS.
UH, REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THAT, WITH OUR MASTER PLAN, WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE DID YEARS BACK, AND YOU DEFINITELY ARE.
I REALLY LOVE THE EXAMPLES YOU GAVE OF THE CLASSES AND THE, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU HAVE AND, AND THE EVENT THAT YOU DID UP AT HCC AND, UH, YOU'RE REALLY ACTIVE AND PROACTIVE.
AND HOW, HOW DO, HOW DO PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT...
I KNOW FROM VARIOUS WAYS, THROUGH YOUR PARTNERS AND...
BUT AT EACH PUBLIC LIBRARY, IS EVERYBODY WELL-VERSED ON THE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST? SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION AT A, A BRANCH LIBRARY, SOMEBODY NEEDING SOMETHING, THEY KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING? YES, MA'AM.
WE, UM, ACTUALLY GET A LOT OF REFERRALS FROM THE LIBRARY.
IN FACT, I GOT ONE YESTERDAY FROM, UM, A YOUNG LADY, UM, WHO WAS LOOKING FOR, UM, BASIC LITERACY CLASSES IN SPANISH.
AND SO PART OF OUR INTAKE SYSTEM IS, HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US? SHE WENT TO THE LOCAL LIBRARY AND SHE SAID, "I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO READ AND WRITE IN MY NATIVE LANGUAGE.
HOW CAN I GET HELP?" THEY IMMEDIATELY REFERRED HER TO, TO US.
SO THE WAY THAT WE DO IT IS SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE ALSO HAVE BROCHURES, WE HAVE PAMPHLETS THAT WE DO, UM, PROVIDE TO THE LIBRARIES.
THE LIBRARIES ARE, ARE WELL VERSED AS, UM, OUR PARTNERS, BUT WE ALSO DO A LOT OF TABLING.
WE GO TO EVENTS THAT, UM, S - UM, SYSTEM-WIDE PROGRAMMING IS HOSTING, SO WE DO PARTNER UP WITH THEM.
THEY ALSO HELP SPREAD THE WORD FOR US, UM, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT WE, WE TAKE.
WE HAVE AN INTAKE PHONE NUMBER, UM, WHICH IS RINGING, UM, A LOT MORE THAN IT USED TO, WHICH IT MAKES US REALLY HAPPY.
UM, BUT WE USE, UM, VARIOUS METHODS TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE.
AND ON THE VOLUNTEER, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH IS GREAT, IS THERE, LIKE, DO YOU GIVE THEM A SET CURRICULA OR IS IT, IS IT BASED, IS IT JUST KIND OF LIKE THE, LIKE THE GED STUDENTS WHO NEEDED HELP WITH MATH, THEY, THEY JUST GO IN AND HELP THEM WITH THEIR SPECIFIC KIND OF PRE, YOU KNOW, GED TEST STUFF, OR IS THERE...
HOW, HOW DOES IT WORK? HOW DO YOU TRAIN THEM AND WHAT...
IS THERE, LIKE, A CURRICULUM THEY FOLLOW?
[00:20:01]
SO, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 25, UM, VOLUNTEERS THAT SIGNED UP SPECIFICALLY FOR MOLD.AND SO, WE DID ASK THEM, "WHAT WAS YOUR INTEREST? WHAT IS YOUR STRENGTH?" MM-HMM.
UM, WHAT WE DID ON OUR END IS WE CREATED, UM, TRAINING FOR THE DIGITAL LITERACY - OKAY.
AS WELL, UM, AS IT, AS WELL AS WITH THE BASIC LITERACY, BOTH, UH, MYSELF AND JANICE WEBB, AND, AND LET ME GO AHEAD AND TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HER.
JANICE WEBB IS THE INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR.
SHE'S MY RIGHT HAND AND SHE'S AMAZING.
WE CAN'T DO THIS WORK WITH, ALONE, SO JANICE, THANK YOU.
UM, WE CREATED THE, THE PRESENTATION AND THE TRAINING.
WE WILL NOT SEND ANY VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE WITHOUT BEING - OKAY.
UM, THAT IS A SPECIFIC SKILLSET BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN, UM, TOPICS THAT ARE, ARE ADDRESSED, GED, ALGEBRAIC, UM, REASONING.
WE WORK WITH THE, THE, UM, CENTER WITH, UM, EVAN, AND HE PROVIDES THE CURRICULUM.
HE PROVIDES THE RESOURCES FOR US.
UM, AND THEN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE VOLUNTEER IS TRAINED.
WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT TO THE VOLUNTEER, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANNA DO THAT TO THE ADULT LEARNER.
WE WANNA MAKE WHATEVER EFFORTS WE ARE PUTTING OUT THERE EFFECTIVE.
AND WHERE IS THE MOST INTEREST? UH, YOU'RE KEEPING THE DATA NOW, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, WHERE ARE YOU FINDING MOST PEOPLE WANT TO...
IS IT DIGITAL? IT'S, IT'S VERY.
UM, WITH THE SENIOR CITIZENS, IT'S DIGITAL.
UM, WITH THE MIDDLE, UM, CLASS, WE'RE LOOKING AT BASIC LITERACY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WITH 30 AND BELOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WORKFORCE.
AND, AND DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HEALTH LITERACY.
SO HEALTH LITERACY IS BASICALLY LET'S, UM, LET'S GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO, UM, TO BE WELL-ROUNDED AND TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES OR TO KNOW WHERE TO ACCESS DIFFERENT HEALTH, UM, SERVICES.
SO IT COULD BE A CLASS BASED ON, UM, HEALTH, UM, HEART HEALTH.
WHO'S OUR PARTNER THERE? WHO ARE WE? SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS. UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN MOU WITH, UM, THEM.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON, UM, HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE IT CARRIED FORWARD.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ? YES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S WAY TOO MANY ADULTS IN NEED OF, YOU KNOW, LITERACY EDUCATION, SO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL DO.
UH, HOW DO Y'ALL DETERMINE WHAT LOCATIONS TO PLACE THE SERVICES AT? SO IT'S, UM, WE'RE GOING BACK TO OUR DATA SYSTEM, AND, AND THIS IS FAIRLY NEW.
UM, WE GET THE INQUIRIES IN, AND THEN WE START BASING IT ON THAT.
WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS.
THE, UM, FOUR DIGITAL LABS WERE EXISTING, UM, AND SO WE WORK WITH THEM TO, UM, TO FIND THE AREAS THAT ARE, ARE NEEDED, UM, WHERE THOSE SERVICES ARE NEEDED.
WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
WE SENT OUT A SURVEY TO THEM AND WE LET THEM KNOW, WE INFORMED THEM OF WHAT OUR WORK LOOKS LIKE, AND WE SAID, "BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE, LET US KNOW WHAT WOULD BEST FIT IN YOUR LIBRARY." SO TH- THIS IS TWOFOLD.
ONE, THEY KNOW THEIR LIB - THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY KNOW THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY, AND TWO, THE COMMUNITY HAS, UM, HAS, UM, FAITH IN THE LIBRARIES.
IT'S A COMMUNITY, IT'S CLEAR, UM, TO THEIR HOUSES, IT'S CLOSE TO THEIR HOUSES, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN JUST GO ACROSS THE STREET OR GO A BLOCK OR TWO DOWN AND GET THE LITERACY CLASSES THAT, THAT THEY KNOW.
THAT'S THE HUB OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WANTED TO REALLY START TARGETING A LOT OF OUR SERVICES.
SO WE TAKE IT FROM DIFFERENT DATA POINTS.
AND THE DIGITAL LABS, AGAIN, ARE THOSE, UH, PRIVATELY OWNED OR THOSE CITY FACILITIES? NO, THEY'RE FOR 501 UM - I SEE.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE DATA PIECE, COLLECTING DATA AND SO FORTH.
ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL HOW MANY OF THE 1,071 ADULTS SERVED WERE FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS VERSUS, UH, ADULTS WHO HAD TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF SERVICES BEFORE? CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT AVAILABLE.
AND HOW ABOUT, UM, SOME OUT- OUTCOMES MEASURES? ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL, FOR INSTANCE, UM, HOW MANY SECURED EMPLOYMENT OR PROMOTION OR ADDITIONAL EDUCATION AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM OR...
SO CURRENTLY, THE SYSTEM AS IT IS SET UP, UM, DID NOT HAVE THAT COMPONENT.
THAT'S WHY WE DECIDED TO CREATE THE PATHWAYS, AND SO NOW WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THEM AS THEY FINISH A CLASS.
WE'RE GIVING THEM THE OPTION, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THEM AND SEE IF THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PATHWAYS THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
AND, UM, YOU MENTIONED THE PROGRAM WHERE IF THEY HAVE PERFECT ATTENDANCE, THEY GET A LAPTOP.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, IF SOMEONE HAS TO MISS DUE TO ILLNESS OR WORK OR SOMETHING
[00:25:01]
LIKE THAT, ARE ACCOMMODATIONS MADE FOR, FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? ABSOLUTELY.THIS, UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY CAME ABOUT THROUGH A GRANT THAT WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER SECURED.
UM, WE DID HAVE ONE, UM, ACTUALLY TWO, A DAUGHTER AND HER MOTHER WHO WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO A MEETING HERE, UM, AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE OFFERED A MAKEUP CLASS AT THE WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO YES, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WERE PROVIDED.
AND, UH, THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, HOW MUCH OF IT IS GRANT FUNDING? SO I'M GONNA DEFER TO, UM, DIRECTOR GOSS SO SHE CAN ANSWER THE FUNDING.
UM, CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC? UM, WELL, THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, WHERE DO YOU GET IT? IS IT FROM THE GENERAL FUND, FROM GRANTS, A COMBINATION? SO, UM, CAN WE GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT? SURE.
BUT I CAN SPEAK ABOUT, UM, WHAT MS. GARDEA HAS MENTIONED.
SO FOR THE MOL FUNDING, UM, WE RE - WE RECEIVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 400,000 A YEAR.
AND SO AS FAR AS WHERE IT COMES FROM, WE CAN...
WE'LL GET WITH RUMIKA TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE INFORMATION.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING, IT GOES TO, UH, SUPPORT TO PERSONNEL, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME MONEY TO, UH, ALSO, UH, DO OTHER THINGS.
AND SO, AND LIKE MS. GARDIA SAID THAT WHENEVER THERE ARE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, WE APPLY FOR THEM, SUCH AS THE GRANT THAT SHE WORKED WITH THE, THE COMMUNITY CENTER - UH-HUH.
UH, TO OFFER THE, NOT ONLY THE CLASSES, BUT TO OFFER ALSO THE LAPTOPS THAT THE PEOPLE RECEIVED.
THANK, THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, FOR BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE I HAD A QUESTION IN REFERENCE TO, UM, YOUR ROLE.
YOU BASICALLY SAY YOU SUPPORT LITERACY PROVIDERS THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES.
WHAT DOES THE CAPACITY BUILDING LOOK LIKE? SO THAT COULD BE, UM, PROVIDING THEM OPPORTUNITIES WITH DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, PRO - WE DO HAVE FUNDING, OR WE DID FUND NORTH STAR, WHICH IS A LITERACY, DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE, UM, SOMETIMES OFFER THEM, UM, DEPENDING ON THE BUDGET, UM, IN WHICH THEY UTILIZE TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR ADULT LITERACY.
SO WE PROVIDE THE TRAINING FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. AND SO WHO ARE SOME OF THE, UM, PROVIDERS THAT YOU WORK WITH? SO THE ONES THAT WE HAVE THE DIGITAL LA - UM, LI - DIGITAL LAB, UM, LABS, SORRY.
WE HAVE WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, MISSION MILBY, WE HAVE, UM, MEMORIAL ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES, AND WE HAVE EIGHT MILLION STORIES.
AND SO THE REST OF THEM, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT LIST.
I CAN SAY WE HAVE NIHOUSE, WE HAVE THE, UM, PARENT TEACHER COLLABORATIVE, WHICH IS A SMALLER, UH, INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
AND SO THEY'RE JUST SCATTERED THROUGHOUT, UM, THE CITY? YES, MA'AM.
AND SO THE OTHER THING, THE LAST THING, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINA'S OFFICE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, UM, LITERACY RATE, THE DATA THAT YOU COLLECT, DOES IT HELP YOU IDENTIFY THE, THE AREAS THAT ARE, LIKE, IN SERIOUS NEED? YES, MA'AM.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY HONE IN ON AS WE CONTINUE TO GATHER THIS DATA, IS WHERE IS THE BIGGEST NEED? I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IT'S EVERYWHERE.
UM, WE, WE KNOW THAT THE NORTHEAST AND THE NORTHWEST, UM, IS A DESERT IN REGARDS TO, UM, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PROVIDERS THAT HAVE THESE SERVICES.
THEY'RE FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN, SO WE ARE MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO PUSH OUT INTO THOSE AREAS TO PRO - UH, FIND PROVIDERS OR CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE CLASSES.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DATA, UM, YOU DO HAVE A CLUSTER AROUND EACH ONE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTERS, BUT THE REST OF IT, IT'S SCATTERED ALL OVER - OKAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? UH-HUH.
IF I CAN, UM, I WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THAT WE WERE SUPPORTED BY THE ARPA FUNDS, THE ARPA GRANTS.
SO A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND SOME OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED, UH, WITH...
SO WE'RE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
SO END OF THIS YEAR, THE PROGRAM, IT ENDS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
SO THE ARPA DOLLARS RUN OUT? THE ARPA DOLLARS, YES.
AND THEN WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO AFTER THEY RUN OUT? SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SERVICE, UH, CONTINUE THE SERVICES AS WE CAN.
AND LIKE SHE SAID, WITH THE VOLUNTEERS - UH-HUH.
AND ALSO, UM, SEARCHING FOR GRANTS BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME UP.
AND SO, AND WE'RE VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY, UM, S - WE'RE, WE'RE STRATEGIC IN HOW WE LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO, AND WE DON'T, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE PROVIDING THE SERVICES, UH, AS THE NEED ARISES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SELENA'S OFFICE.
UM, SO I WANNA SAY THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY GREAT PROGRAM AND IT'S HAVING VERY...
[00:30:01]
UM, MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD JUST BE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS OTHER THAN HAVING, LIKE, LOW LITERACY RATES OR, LIKE, WITH THE DATA THAT YOU COLLECT, IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, CERTAIN POPULATION, CERTAIN AGES, OR CERTAIN, LIKE, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS TO GET THESE RESOURCES? TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES? YES.ALL OUR SERVICES ARE FREE, AND WE PURPOSELY LOOK FOR PARTNERSHIPS IN WHICH THEY WOULD PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR FREE.
WE KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND WE KNOW THE NEEDS OF THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE SERVING, AND WE KNOW THAT THE INCOME AND THE MONEY IS NOT THERE, SO WE DON'T WANNA ADD ANY ADDITIONAL BURDEN TO, TO THEM.
SO ANYTHING WE DO OFFER, WE OFFER FOR FREE, OR WE LOOK FOR PARTNERS THAT OFFER IT FOR FREE.
SO NO, WE, WE DON'T TARGET SPECIFIC AGE GROUPS.
IT IS OPEN TO ANYBODY, UM, 18 AND PLUS.
AND DOES EVERYONE WHO, LIKE, SIGNS UP OR EVERYONE WHO REACHES OUT, ARE THEY ALL PROVIDED WITH THESE SERVICES AS WELL? THEY'RE PROVIDED WITH THE, THE INFORMATION FOR THESE SERVICES.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NOPE.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UM, COMING TO SHARE, GIVING US AN UPDATE, UM, ON, UM, YOUR PROGRAMS AND HOW YOU HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES IMPROVE THEIR LITERACY.
SO WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW US TO SHARE.
AND SO NOW WE'LL GO TO OUR SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE, UM, ONE SPEAKER, UNLESS SOMEONE YOU SIGNED UP TO.
UM, MR. FERNANDEZ, GUADALUPE FERNANDEZ.
I KNOW MS. MARILYN, RIGHT? WHITE, YOU, UM, SIGNED UP.
SO COINCIDENTALLY, GUESS WHO WAS THE, UM, MOM AND DAUGHTER WHO SIGNED UP FOR A CLASS WHO MISSED ONE OF THE CLASSES AND ASKED IF WE COULD...
THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME ON, UM, AND IT WAS ON JUST FACEBOOK ABOUT COME AND SIGN UP FOR A LITERACY CLASS IF YOU WANNA LEARN COMPUTER SKILLS.
MY MOM'S 82 AND MAYBE A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE HERE HAVE MET HER.
AND SHE'S BEEN WANTING TO TAKE A CLASS.
AND IT WAS AT THE LIBRARY, SO I WAS LIKE, "SURE, LET'S SIGN UP." SO WE SIGNED UP TO TAKE IT.
NOW THEY PARTNERED WITH WESLEY FOR THAT CLASS.
WHEN WE WALKED IN AND WE TOOK IT, UM, WE ENDED UP MAKING A DONATION TO WESLEY TO PAY FOR THE COMPUTERS BECAUSE WE WERE IN A POSITION THAT WE COULD DO THAT AND WANTED THEM TO USE THAT MONEY, YOU KNOW, TO GET OTHER PEOPLE COMPUTERS AND WHATNOT.
IT WAS, BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO A DIRECTOR ABOUT IT WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE ONE THING THAT I WAS A LITTLE WISH WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AND IT DID WAS, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS PARTNERED WITH WESLEY, THERE WAS SOME DAYS THAT WE WENT THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT COMPUTER LITERACY.
IT WAS MORE FOCUSED TOWARDS, UM, THINGS THAT WERE VERY NEEDED.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY WEREN'T IMPORTANT, BUT MORE LIKE, UM, FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND WHEN WE SIGNED UP FOR IT, WE THOUGH WE WERE SIGNING UP FOR SIX DAYS OF COMPUTER LITERACY, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT WE WERE INTERESTED IN DOING.
WE HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS PARTNERING AND THAT THERE WAS THE COMPUTER AND LIKE THAT WAS ALL NEWS TO US, WHICH WAS ALL FINE AND WONDERFUL AND TERRIFIC.
BUT I JUST THINK, AND WE SPOKE TO THE DIRECTOR ABOUT IT, THAT WHEN THEY DO PARTNER WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS OTHER MI- MISSIONS OR GOALS, THAT IT'S JUST EXPLAINED A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR IT.
SHE'S GOT A, RECOVERING FROM A BROKEN HIP, SO IT'S NOT THE EASIEST TO GET PLACES.
AND WHEN WE GOT THERE AND THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE WHOLE CLASS.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME OF THE CLASSES, THEY DIDN'T EVEN BREAK OUT A COMPUTER.
I MEAN, IT WAS GREAT, IT WAS WONDERFUL, IT WAS TERRIFIC, BUT I JUST THINK THEY HAVE TO DO A BETTER EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE CLASSES ARE.
IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE PARTNER.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT TAUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL.
IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE OVERALL.
AND I DO THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LEARNING A LOT FROM THESE CLASSES.
SO - THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR COMMENTS.
SO GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR SPEAKERS, UM, THIS MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED AND WE CAN JUST CHECK OUT, LOOK, UM, LOOK OUT FOR AN EMAIL ON THE NEXT, UM, SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ADJOURNED.