News

Registration is open for new workshops on financial literacy, thanks to a grant that Lake Worth West Community Center (LLWCC) has received.

The Financial Fitness Workshops start on June 12 from 5-7 pm at our center. To sign up, call us at 561-649-9600.

The $5,000 grant, managed by Florida Literacy Coalition and supported by Wells Fargo, will educate students and parents on managing all aspects of their finances, including online banking.

The workshop will be conducted throughout the summer to help participants better understand their financial, credit and debt management.

LWWCC Executive Director Rhonda Rogers said having financial literacy is necessary to making financially responsible decisions.

“Making thoughtful and informed decisions about our finances is more important than ever –considering the rise in the cost of living and the increased burden on all of us to plan for our retirement years,” she added. “We’re grateful to Florida Literacy Coalition and Wells Fargo for providing us the assistance for these vital workshops.”

Our center is working with our partners — Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Children’s Home Society, Palm Beach County Human Services, United Way of Palm Beach County, and local schools – to recruit participants for the workshops.

Lake Worth West Community Center has received a new grant for the implementation of a health literacy program to benefit our adult education, ESOL, and family literacy students.

The $5,000 grant, awarded by Florida Blue Foundation and the Florida Literacy Coalition, will integrate health and nutrition information into our curriculum. The focus is to help students acquire the knowledge, literacy skills, and resources that will help them navigate the medical system and make informed health decisions.

Rhonda Rogers, the executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center, said: “We’re grateful for this grant because there is a growing recognition among health care providers and adult educators around the country that limited English language and literacy skills can have a significant impact on one’s health.”

In fact, 14% of Americans cannot comprehend basic health information, according to the National Adult Assessment of Literacy. The study indicates that health illiteracy is especially prevalent among:

1) Adults who did not complete high school, with 49% having below basic health literacy; and

2) Foreign born adults who have English as their second language.

Adults with low literacy levels often fail to engage in early detection and preventive health care. They also have significant difficulties navigating the health care system and following their doctors’ treatment plans.

Florida ranks 33rd out of 50 states in the 2011 study “America’s Health Rankings”. The state’s greatest health challenges include a high rate of uninsured population, a low high school graduation rate, and high prevalence of diabetes.

The Florida Health Literacy Initiative provides training, resources, and funding to assist Florida ESOL and family literacy programs to integrate health education into their instruction.  The objective is to help students develop basic literacy and English language skills while gaining information to make informed choices regarding their health and nutrition.

The grant was officially presented during the 33^nd Annual Florida Literacy Conference May 10-12 in Captiva, Florida.

Added Greg Smith, executive director of Florida Literacy Coalition: “The support of this initiative reflects Florida Blue’s commitment to helping adult learners, many of whom are new to this country, become informed health advocates for themselves and their families”

Lake Worth West Community Center is one of 15 grant recipients selected for the seventh grant year of this statewide Initiative. Other recipients include: Adult Literacy League; Atlantic Technical College, Arthur Ashe Jr. Campus; Daytona State College; DeSoto County Education Foundation, Inc.; El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center; Flagler County Schools; ABC Literacy Council; Learn to Read of St. Johns County; Literacy Council of Sarasota; Literacy Volunteers of Leon County; Miami Dade College- Hialeah Campus; Parent Academy of St. Lucie County; Sarasota Family YMCA; and United Food Bank of Plant City.

We welcome our new Executive Director Rhonda Rogers!

She’s a strong advocate for high-quality services for vulnerable populations. Ms. Rogers specializes in developing and overseeing new and innovative programs. Her commitment to families, children, and youth, and to high-quality programs spans a timeframe of more than two decades.

She explains below her vision for our Center – today and for the future.

1) What made you want to become the executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center?

Rhonda Rogers: I wanted to become the new executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center because of all of the great work that the organization provides for the community.  Lake Worth West has a great reputation in the community and you can see the positive impact each and every day.  I had the pleasure of working with the organization as its program officer with the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, so I was aware of the agency’s long-standing quality programs.

2) What are your main goals for the center for the coming years?

Rhonda Rogers: My main goals are to increase the exposure of the organization (through social media and the website), grow our board of directors, and increase our partnerships and funding. I know that these are large goals, but with the great team that I have and the amazing programs, I am sure to get these accomplished.

3) What are you most looking forward to in your new job?

Rhonda Rogers: I am most looking forward to providing direct services to clients.  I have been behind a desk for the last eight years and I love to hear the voices of the children and see the smiles on so many faces.  I am enjoying the daily activities and programs that take place at the center.

I am looking forward to contributing to the future of Lake Worth West and leaving a legacy of quality programs and services for the neighboring community.

Feel free to contact Ms. Rogers any time at rrogers@lakeworthwest.org or 561-649-9600. Or come on by the Center and say hello!

Carol Clinton has retired from Lake Worth West Community Center after 12 years as executive director.

She reflects on how she helped started most of the programs offered by our Center and what she has enjoyed most about her job over the years.

What I’ve loved most is watching the children grow up from toddlers to teenagers and then heading off to college. For many, going off to college was a milestone for their families with them being the first to attend a college. It’s so nice that we as a center played a big role in that and helped these young people make the right decisions about staying in school, graduating, going to college and then starting out in their careers.

I loved it when our “kids” came back to visit. Many of them are so tall now and they have to bend down to give me a hug! They tell us how we helped shape their lives. For me, it’s a deep feeling of pride knowing how we helped transform their lives and make them productive citizens.

One of the ways our center has made so much impact in the community was being part of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County’s BRIDGES program. As one of 10 BRIDGES sites in the county, Lake Worth West Community Center has been addressing the sentinel outcomes in the program (promoting healthy births, reducing child abuse and neglect, and preparing children for kindergarten) and putting a significant emphasis on early childhood literacy. Since most of our families are immigrants from Central and South America, we created many workshops, seminars and other events to acclimate them to their new community. We offered programming to help parents become better parents and understand how to make their children succeed in school. We also focused on helping our families get to know other families so they could adjust better to their new lives here.

We’ve had many other partners in achieving our objectives. In addition to the Children’s Services Council, we’ve also worked closely with the School District of Palm Beach County to educate parents about the importance of getting their children to read and attend school regularly. These are both critical in keeping children on grade level and making sure they will graduate on time.

In all my jobs, I’ve worked with staffs to help families break the cycle of poverty. The work often involved helping people make the right choices and having options to better their lives.

I’m grateful to have been part of changing many lives over the years.

As I said, nothing has warmed my heart more than seeing our young people grow up to become successful and productive individuals. I’ve always encouraged my staffs to be there for our youth — and it’s paid off.

It’s called the “summer slide” – the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.

Lake Worth West Community Center is offering summer reading and other educational programs to children and their families so they can continue practicing essential reading skills learned during the school year.

The summer slide is a very real phenomenon. Research shows that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months, according to National Summer Learning Association. In addition, low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement.

Surveys of teachers also found that summer learning loss could be reduced, even eliminated, if students participated in a summer learning program.

As a result, Lake Worth West Community Center is providing a summer reading program starting June 13 through August 3.

The eight-week classes for children from first grade to third grade go from 10:30 am to 12 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. The summer reading program for mothers is from 10:30 am to 12 pm on Wednesdays.

These classes provide tips and strategies to support and encourage children to achieve their reading goals. Books and incentives will be given to all participants, too. Also, teachers, librarians and school teen coordinators will discuss topics of interest to children and their parents.

In addition, during the summer months, the center will offer the “Raise Me Up” class which encourages interaction between parents and their children. Instructors will teach parents about communication, fine and gross motor skills, building social skills, and much more. They will also go over site words for children to learn and discuss the importance of regular school attendance.

During this time, parents will be able to do ASQ-3 Screening for their children to identify early development or behavioral problems in children who are 2 months to 5 years old.

So this summer, it’s fine for kids to be carefree and be happy just being kids. But it’s also vital to access educational opportunities.

Call the Lake Worth West Community Center at 561-649-9600 to learn more about our summer reading program.

Lake Worth West Community Center offers many classes for young children and their parents. These are part of Children Services Council of Palm Beach County’s BRIDGES program, which stresses positive parenting.

Here’s what one of those classes is like.

Alongside her mother Yushiry Gonzalez, 4-year-old Saory is slowly coloring her favorite foods and toys as she finishes off her “first book.”

It’s a valuable lesson for Saory who is refining her motor skills and learning to socialize in preparation for pre-school.

And it’s also a good lesson for Yushiry, who is 28 and originally from Mexico, as she develops her parenting skills.

They are attending the “Exploring Our World” class at BRIDGES at Lake Worth West at the Lake Worth West Community Center. The class is one of many the center provides for families from Central and South American countries, as well as local families, so they gain the skills needed to raise their children in Palm Beach County. In addition to regular classes, the center also offers ASQ-3 Screening to determine if children are at risk for developmental delays.

“This has taught me a lot of patience,” Gonzalez said, who also has a 2-year-old son. “I’ve learned so much about being a better parent mostly by calming down when I talk to my children.”

During the morning class Gonzalez is attending, close to 20 other mothers and their children are creating their own “first books” full of first words, first sentences and first pictures of all their favorite things. They are also doing arts activities, reading books, and listening to instructor Veronica Callejas explain the importance of parental engagement with children.

“As parents, you have to be your child’s first teacher,” said Callejas, a child development specialist at the center. “We have to get our kids ready for school.”

Parents attending this class, and others like it, to learn practical techniques to reduce stress and address everyday parenting concerns. According to BRIDGES, here are examples of positive parenting:

• Create a stable, supportive, peaceful home.
• Build positive relationships with your children.
• Deal clearly, calmly and consistently with any problem behavior.
• Encourage behavior that you like.
• Know what is reasonable to expect from your children and yourself.
• Take care of yourself as a parent.

A stay-at-home mom, Gonzalez brings her daughter to the classes regularly. Her daughter enjoys coming because she likes the activities and spending quality time with Gonzalez doing fun projects like the “first book.”

“I tell her we’re going to ‘school’ and she just lights up. She loves it here,” Gonzalez says.

Fabienne Brizeus also enjoys bringing her children to the classes. On the same morning class, she, too, is sitting with her 3-year-old daughter Johanna and also working on their “first book.” Her son, Joshua, 2, is in another room playing with other children – a big step for him because, until recently, he had been clinging to Brizeus every time she leaves him to go to work as a manager at a McDonald’s.

“The parenting skills I learned have helped me develop a closer relationship with my son and daughter,” she says. “They’ve learned that when I go to work, they are going to be OK and I am going to be Ok. I just walk out the door and leave and my son no longer screams and throws tantrums.”

Learn more about our Early Beginnings programs here and our Adult programs here.

Hours after the school bell rings, the teens gather in a classroom to learn about college, careers, and achieving the American Dream.

The setting isn’t in a school. It’s in a modular unit at Lake Worth West Community Center.

The nearly 50 high school students are there on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. participating in the College Prep Club, which is funded by the United Way of Palm Beach County.

These youths from mostly Latin American and Caribbean families come to strengthen their academics, determine what college they want to attend, and prepare for their college years and beyond. They also come to gain confidence and determination to overcome the cycle of poverty that have entangled their families, and chart their own course toward independence, success, and prosperity.

The College Prep Club is working: many of the students do go on to college. And not just local schools. Some students have made it to top universities like Yale University.

On this day at the club, after eating pizza for dinner, the boys and girls are discussing the use of cell phones, tablets and other electronic gadgets connected to the Internet – and how they make our lives better and worse.

“You have to be extra careful,” the coordinator Betsy Smith said, as students lean in to learn about bullying and gang recruitment that comes from being on social media.

“Yeah, it happened to me,” one girl said, as others nodded in agreement.

To prepare for their futures, these students must also learn about obstacles standing in the way of their achievement. Part of that is overcoming negative stereotypes that many of them have been branded with, just because of their families and where they have grown up.

“These kids are great, and they have to learn they aren’t numbers and that they matter,” said Maria Gisela Omana, who is the site administrator for Lake Worth West Community Center. “They are our future. We teach them to become leaders in their community, schools and families.”

Many of the students have known each other for years. In addition to gathering at the classroom, they also go to dinner and on trips to movies and other places. They have become close, like an extended family, and have learned together to be respectful, polite and appreciative toward others.

Josselin Rodriguez, a junior at Lake Worth High School, has been coming to College Prep Club for nearly two years.

Well-spoken and chatty, she envisions going to Palm Beach State College and then to Florida Atlantic University or University of Miami. She wants to study business or psychology. The club is preparing her for the basics about apply to college like how to write an application and qualify for financial aid.

“Until I came here, all I wanted to do was just pass school. I didn’t care. Now I care a lot more. I want to be higher-ranked in my class. I want a good grade point average. I want to do well. I really want a head start in life,” she said.

Her attitude toward school changed through the friendships she made in the program and the information she learned.

“There’s great people here who really care about me. When I had problems, I would talk to them. We had good discussions. I gained more confidence about myself and opened up and become social,” Josselin said.

Her family from Honduras, she was born in Texas and grew up in Lake Worth. Her father is a construction worker and her mom stays at home raising her and her two younger brothers. Josselin would be the first in her family to go to college.

“I really want to succeed and be a good motivator for my two brothers,” she added.

Jessica Chirinos, a senior at Lake Worth High School, also intends to go to Palm Beach State College and eventually transfer to Florida Atlantic University to study criminal justice.

“I want to be an FBI agent and go after bad people,” she said, very seriously.

She credits her “family” at the club for giving her an emotional boost to tackle her studies and focus on the future. Through the club, she learned how to speak in front of others and exert herself in a discussion. She’s now an A/B student verses a C/D student just a few years ago.

“I used to be really quiet but after coming here, I learned how to express myself and communicate well with others,” she said. “For a long time, I felt I wasn’t as smart as the other kids in school. But now, I have realized I’m just as smart as everyone else and I learned how to show it.”

Jessica, too, would be the first in her family to go to college. Her parents are also from Honduras.

“My parents taught me to stay away from drugs and bad things,” she said. “I will do well in life.”

Call the Lake Worth West Community Center at 561-649-9600 to learn more about our college preparatory club.