Dorcas Place provides a comprehensive range of education programs and related services designed to fully support students in meeting their goals in relation to the adult roles of family member, worker, and citizen.

Students' reading levels range from beginning readers to those who are transitioning into college. English as a Second Language is taught for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

Instruction in reading, writing, math, and computer literacy is provided by teachers in the classroom setting, and by individual trained tutors in the Learning Resource Center on-site or in convenient community locations. Learners may also participate in self-paced instructional activities to enhance their skills. All students of Dorcas Place are encouraged to complete a portfolio to demonstrate the skills they have gained.

The classroom curricula incorporate the competencies needed for success as a worker, family member, and citizen. Each learner develops an Individual Education and Career Plan based on long and short-term goals. Students choose structured activities to assist them to achieve these goals.

Activities related to employment goals include: job shadowing, the Dorcas Place Workplace Competency Certificate Program, Customer Service Training Program, internships or community service work experiences. The students of Dorcas Place who are parents or family care-givers may choose to participate in the wide variety of Family Literacy activities, including: parenting education and support workshops and parent/child literacy activities.

Opportunities for students to practice citizenship and civic participation skills are offered in activities such as: community service work, field trips, student assemblies with local, state and national representatives, community projects, and Dorcas Place student leadership.

Support Services of Dorcas Place provides assistance to each student in identifying and building on individual strengths, and developing strategies to address specific barriers to goal attainment. Supportive counseling, training in leadership and health education, and referrals to outside agencies provide students resources to achieve success.

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS

Classes are offered during the daytime, afternoons, evenings and Saturdays. Students at Dorcas Place complete standardized testing, assessment of learning and support needs, and orientation prior to beginning instruction. The standardized testing identifies the individual student's specific competencies related to reading, writing, and math. Learners participate in the classroom instruction that is designed to address their individual competency profile.

All instruction reflects the SCANS competencies as outlined by the U.S. Department of Labor. The on-going assessment process with students addresses academic and functional skills needed at work. Teachers at Dorcas Place base their instruction on the demands of the workplace.

SCOTTISH-RITE LANGUAGE SKILLS CURRICULUM

This multi-sensory sequential language skill curriculum employs teaching strategies to engage all of the senses of every kind of learner, including individuals with learning disabilities. It is intended to assist adults to build a foundation of basic reading, writing, and spelling skills. Teachers at Dorcas Place use this curriculum to expand their teaching strategies for language skills for all students.

ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)

Dorcas Place provides part and full-time classroom instruction in ESOL. This curriculum is designed to assist students whose educational competencies in English range from beginning to advanced, and it focuses on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in the context of civics. National curricula, The Crossroads Caf and On Common Ground, provide opportunities for students to exercise civic participation and leadership skills. Integrated instruction includes math, computer skills training, career and leadership development. Students may also be involved in workplace literacy programs to reach their employment goals.