Short History of CPALC

WELCOME--- SO JEZ LE BIENVENU--- WITAC--- WILKOMMEN--- BIENVENIDO--- VALKOMMEN  

HOW DOES ONE EXPLAIN 24 YEARS ON ONE PAGE?

Joyce Kelleher encourages Portage Adult Education and the Crown Point School Board to establish a learning center. Carol Smock is the first instructor and the locations in those first years are: Southiake YMCA, upper level, the Crown Point Panther Football League clubhouse, Mac's Field, the old Waterworks building, 610 N. Grant and finally in

back to the Southlake YMCA, lower level, with Donna Oglesby, instructor.

Quaking in her boots, Donna Keller takes over as instructor. There are 3 students. One, an ESL student, is still with us.

Thanks to great volunteer tutors, a wonderful advisory board, good cooperation with Crown Point businesses, schools, civil communities, the Crown Point Public Library, the local news media and the many churches, clubs and fraternal organizations who donate so much of their time and monies to worthy causes such as our Center we grew to 120 students whose hourly work enabled us to become eligible in

to have paid part-time staff. Wow! The late Patricia Buffenbarger, GED grad and volunteer is our first teaching assistant. Sherry Colosi, Patricia Cope also have served and serve as staff. This staff becomes the good right arm of our Center.

One of our students wins the PAE traveling trophy for scoring the highest GED score in the 4 counties Portage serves.

Sherry Colosi teaches English as a Second Language in an empty classroom at Solon Robinson. Again thanks to the C.P. School Board for allowing us there. She has over 40 students from 18 different countries in beginning, intermediate and advanced classes.

1993

The first computer class for GED graduates and eligible Kimbrough students begin.

1994

Jennie Davis, volunteer tutor chair and licensed teacher takes over as the Center's 4th instructor. Because of a need for more space the CPALC Advisory Board rents 4 rooms on N. Main then in

moves to 3 rooms in the former Community Building on S. Court. Judy Krey joins CPALC, first as a volunteer, then as paid part-time staff.

CPALC moves to its final location (we hope) back to the old Waterworks building, 610 N. Grant. The city gives us a 3 year renewable lease for $1.00 a year. We spend $5000 renovating it. It's beginning to look like a professional organization.

Thanks to the Indiana Literacy Foundation and Janet Curley, who so assiduously writes successful grants for us, we dedicated our new computer room to the memory of two of our first CPALC advisory board members, Mickey Louis and Edith Root.

Written for your pleasure and edification,

Donna Keller Heuer, CPALC Historian

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