Our President

• Functional Literacy
• Workforce Literacy, including our Career Academy Job Center
• RI Welcome Back Center, one of only seven programs across the country designed to assist immigrant professionals secure employment in their professions
• Family Literacy Program, including a federal Even Start program and a federal Full Service Community Schools grant, one of only 10 funded nationally in 2008
• College Preparatory Program in partnership with the Community College of RI, including our Developmental Education Institute

Major Accomplishments as President:

• In order to increase capacity and quality of programming, oversaw purchase and renovation of current location, expanding the size from 7,700 sq. feet to 19,500 sq. feet.
• Successfully concluded a Capital Campaign by exceeding goal of $2.1 million dollars in less than three years. Paid off of a five-year mortgage in four years. The agency is now debt free.
• Increased staff diversity from 3% to 50% percent. New staff hired with higher degrees and enhanced work qualifications.
• Improved male student representation to over 28% (and growing).
• Formed regional, national, and international partnerships with: Nellie Mae Education Foundation, New England Association of Schools & Colleges, United Way of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Foundation, Council for Opportunity in Education, National Center for Family Literacy, Jobs for the Future’s Breaking Through Initiative, Making Connections Providence, Annie E. Casey Foundation, European Access Network, and University of Liverpool.

Commended by the Rhode Island Department of Education for excelling in the following promising, effective, or innovative practices/strengths:

• Commitment to the adult learner, particularly the low-skilled adult learner. Committing to low-skilled, low-income families is not always the easiest choice.
• Commitment to the adult learner, particularly the low-skilled adult learner. Committing to low-skilled, low-income families is not always the easiest choice.
• Commitment to quality.
• Commitment to consistency/alignment.
• Full continuum of services is in place.
• Comprehensive wraparound support functions.
• Quality of staff from recruitment to selection, training, support, compensation. This quality is by intent/by design.
• Incorporation of expectations re: student outcomes in job descriptions and staff evaluations.
• Agency, program, class, teacher, and student leadership.
• Organizational culture and structure promotes communication and continuous improvement.
• Detailed systems, policies, processes, and procedures are in place, ensuring uniformity and consistency where needed.
• Multiple opportunities for learners to participate in adult ways in the activities of the agency.
• Intentional program improvement and professional development.
• Ability to leverage expertise, create and manage knowledge.
• Research into persistence resulting in a commitment to excellence.
• Clearly observable improvement in outcomes and commitment to further education.
• Promising practice re: use of data for placement.

Under Presidency, Dorcas Place highlighted and/or cited for promising practices by the following organizations:

• New England Literacy Resource Center
• National College Transition Network
• Nellie Mae Education Foundation
• Commission on Adult Basic Education and ProLiteracy America
• U.S. News and World Report

The Northeast & Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University

• Special Projects Manager and LAB Liaison
• 1996-1999

The Northeast & Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University is one of 10 federally funded labs engaged in applied research and development around new and improved teaching and learning methods for elementary and secondary schools. The LAB at Brown promotes knowledge-based school improvement throughout the Northeast and Islands in order to facilitate equal access to quality learning environments for all students in meeting high standards of learning.

Directed research and policy initiatives on:

• Creating Partnerships Between Higher Education and School-to-Work/School-to-Career
• Creating Partnerships Between Interfaith Religious Leaders and Public Educators
• Determining the Impact of Welfare Reform on Access to Higher Education for Low Income Adults

In addition to major LAB initiatives, the Special Projects Manager coordinated the LAB’s governmental relations activities, co-chaired the annual Pell Policy Seminar (a national educational policy seminar), acted as staff liaison to the LAB’s Board of Governors, and as the state liaison to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

United States Department of Education

• Secretary’s Regional Representative for New England
• 1993-1996

Acted as the personal representative of the U.S. Secretary for all official relationships with state and local, public and private education agencies, schools, colleges, and state governance organizations in New England. Responsible for conveying the Secretary of Education and the Department’s policies and actions. Chief spokesperson in the field for promoting, supporting, and advancing the education legislative and reform agenda, and all other education-related legislation and initiatives of the Secretary and the Department in the six-state region.

R.I. Educational Opportunity Center Program

• Director
• 1987-1993

R.I. Educational Talent Search Program

• Founding Director
• 1991-1993

Education

Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island

Ed.D. Educational Leadership, December 2000
Dissertation Title: Access to Higher Education for Welfare Recipients: An Analysis of Welfare Policy Development Designed by National and State Policymakers

Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island

M. Ed., June 1974, Major: Instructional Technology
B.A. of Arts, January 1973, Major: Secondary Education-History.

SELECTED BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
AND AFFILIATIONS

Private Sector Advisor on the United States Delegation to the 6th UNESCO International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) in Belem, Brazil (Conference Postponed.) Selected by the US State Department

Advisory Council Member of the PELL INSTITUTE for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education 2009-

Member, Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for the Higher Education – Team IV United States Department of Education

Selected as member of the Rhode Island Foundation Fellows program, class of 2009 (deferred to 2010)

Board Member, State of Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education (BOG) - nominated by the Governor and approved by the Rhode Island Senate

• Chair, Academic Student Affairs Sub-Committee
• Member, Taskforce for Under Represented Groups in Higher Education,
• Chair, Adult Learner Forum
• Member, Presidential Search Committee for Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island

Board Member, The Providence Plan 2007 - Mayoral appointment

• Member of the Executive Committee and Program Committee
• Chair of New Roots Advisory Council, a program of The Providence Plan that provides support to faith-based and community organizations.

Member of Providence Mayor Cicilline’s Poverty Task Force and the Pathways to Opportunity Committee (member of the steering committee)

Member of United Way/RI Public Expenditure Council’s Safety Net Advisory Committee, 2008-2009

Board Member of Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority (RIHEAA) 2007 - nominated by the Governor and approved by the Rhode Island Senate

• Initiated with full board support the first RI Adult Education Grant program that will enable low income adults enrolling in college less then part time to apply for a grant to pursue higher education

Co-Chair, State Adult Education Advisory Council to the Rhode Island Director for Adult, Career and Technical Education, 2007-2008

• Chair Accountability Workgroup 2006

Chair, Congressman Jack Reed’s Women’s Advisory Council, 1991-1993

Chair, Congressman Jack Reed’s Women’s Advisory Council, 1991-1993

Selected Awards

• Johnson and Wales University Alumni Award honoree, first recipient selected from the Educational Leadership Doctoral program, 2009
• New England Board of Higher Education State Merit Excellence Award, 2008
• First recipient of Community College of Rhode Island’s Education Champion Award, 2007
• Secondary Education Honoree Rhode Island College Alumni Association in recognition of Exemplary Achievements in Chosen Field, 2005
• Johnson & Wales Office of Campus Diversity Strength of Women Award, 2004
• College Board Hallmark Award for Excellence in Education, 2004
• National Council for Opportunity in Education Walter O. Mason Award, 1999
• New England Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, Claiborne Pell Award, 1997
• The New England Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, Marion Belgrave Howard Award, 1992
• Pathways to Independence Advisory Council Recognition Award, 1991
• National Council of Educational Opportunity Associations, President’s Award, 1990, 1991, 1992
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Education Award, 1991
• Rosa Parks Good Neighbor Award, presented by Mrs. Rosa Parks, 1984

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

Panelist/Featured Speaker

• Next Steps in the Literacy Agenda, Washington, DC: November 14, 2005.
• The Pell Institute Student Financial Aid Research Network Conference, Providence, RI: June 22-24, 2006.
• Confianza: Summit on Hispanic Family Learning, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: March 4-5, 2007.

Conference presenter:

• National Commission On Adult Basic Education (COABE) 2005, 2006, and 2007, 2009
• National College Transitions Conference(NCTN), 2007, 2008
• New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC), 2004, 2005
• Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), 2004, 2005, 2006
• National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), 2004, 2005
• European Access Network (EAN), Scotland 2001, Italy 2002, Belgium 2004, Ireland 2007

References available upon request.

  

Publications she has authored or been featured in include:

Building the Desire, Building the Ability: Community-based programs play a role in introducing learners to collge and in helping them persist with Eva Kampits (National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy [NCSALL], 2004). Levers for Change: Educational Opportunity Centers and Welfare Reform size: 281KB, requires Acrobat Reader.

"School-To-Work & Higher Education: If Someone Shouts School-To-Work, Will Anyone in Higher Education Listen?" with Eva Kampits (New England Association of Schools and Colleges [NEASC], 1998). Presented testimony on the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to Joint U.S. Senate and House Postsecondary Education Subcommittee, 1991. Presented testimony to the U.S. Senate Education Subcommittee on the Arts, Education, and Humanities, on pending legislation, 1991. Presented testimony to the National Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance on Early Eligibility and Information: A Federal Strategy, 1992. "Connections" Article describing Educational Opportunity programs written in New England Board of Higher Education Journal. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation profiled the innovative Workplace Literacy Program of Dorcas Place and its ability to address issues raised in the report, "Rising to the Literacy Challenge," written and sponsored by Jobs for the Future. size: 90 KB, requires Acrobat Reader.

Dorcas Place was featured in a recent issue of the RI Kids Count publication, Ideas that Work, October 2000: Adult Literacy. size: 75 KB, requires Acrobat Reader. Ideas that Work! is a monthly series on best practices produced by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT in partnership with the THE NORTHEAST AND ISLANDS REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY: A Program of the Education Alliance at Brown University.

Confianza: The Report of the Summit on Hispanic Family Learning from the National Center for Family Literacy, 2008

Report available as downloadable pdf

Contact Brenda via email.