Step Up
Your Skills. Your Career. Your Life.
What's New at Stepping Up
10 Participants Graduate from Northern RI Community Pipeline
(January 31) Ten motivated Northern Rhode Island residents celebrated their recent completion of the Stepping Up Health Care Career Orientation Program at a graduation ceremony on January 18. The ceremony was held at the Connecting for Children and Families’ (CCF) Chaplin-Perez Community Center.
On hand to address the graduates were U.S. Senator Jack Reed and Matt Wojcik, Woonsocket’s director of Human Services and Economic Development, who represented Mayor Leo T. Fontaine.
The Stepping Up graduates attended seven weeks of health care career exploration classes at both Family Resources Community Action, and Connecting for Children and Families. The students then went on to complete five weeks of related internships at Mount St Rita Health Centre, Hebert Nursing Home, Homefront Health Care, and Landmark Medical Center. At these health care facilities, participants had the opportunity to learn about the working environment and demonstrate their skills and motivation to potential employers.
Read an article about the graduation that was published in the
Woonsocket Call.
Also be sure to check out a slideshow of photos from the event on
Stepping Up's Flickr site!
Congratulations to all of the graduates!
Fall 2011 Newsletter Now Available!
(November 1) Click here to read the latest news from Stepping Up!
Upcoming Healthcare Exploration Classes
(November 1) Interested in enrolling in one of Stepping Up's healthcare career exploration classes? Now is your chance! The Genesis Center is currently recruiting students for its next class beginning on January 17, 2012. Those interested in learning more about enrolling in this class should contact the Genesis Center at (401) 781-6110, or visit their website at www.gencenter.org for more information.
In addition to the Genesis Center, Dorcas Place will be beginning another healthcare career exploration class on May 1, 2012. Contact Dorcas Place at (401) 273-8866 or visit their website at www.dorcasplace.org for more information.
Check back for more information on upcoming classes at Family
Resources Community Action and Connecting for Children and Families
in Woonsocket!
Last Thursday, September 29th, Stepping Up held a graduation ceremony for 23 interns from The Genesis Center and Dorcas Place. NBC 10 featured Stepping Up and two of the graduates in the following segment that was aired on the 5 o'clock news that evening:
Also, check out a slideshow of photos from the event here!
Stepping Up would like to thank all of those who attended the graduation, as well as our partners and funders for making events like this possible and helping our participants to achieve their goals.
9 Participants Graduate from Internships in Woonsocket
(May 25) On Monday, May 23rd, Stepping Up held a
graduation ceremony for the second class of participants in our
Woonsocket, RI-based Healthcare Career Orientation Training program.
Nine graduates participated in the ceremony, which included a keynote speech
by Woonsocket Mayor Leo Fontaine.
Congratulations to all of the graduates!
Click here to view photos from the event!
Spring 2011 Newsletter Now Available!
Click here to read Stepping Up's latest newsletter!
Stepping Up Participant Invited to Speak at National Education Summit
(February 25) Stepping Up is very excited to
announce that participant Raquel Valdez was invited to introduce U.S.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda
Solis at the Community College Summit in Philadelphia on Monday,
February 28th. The theme of the event was "Exemplary Practices in
Transitioning Adult Learners to Community Colleges and the
Workforce."
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Adult and Vocational Education Brenda Dann-Messier invited Ms. Valdez to present at the summit because of her numerous successes. She moved to Rhode Island from Peru in 2001, learned English, went to Dorcas
Place and started in the Stepping Up Program in 2007. She is now a
full-time employee at Women & Infants Hospital and a part-time
student at CCRI. Ms. Valdez is pursuing a career as a Radiological
Technician and is very proud to have represented Rhode Island at this
national summit!
(February 18) On January 19, Stepping Up held the
first in a series of basic computer classes aimed at improving
participants' familiarity and proficiency with core computer
concepts. Seven students completed the course, which ran every
Wednesday and Friday morning from 9:00 AM to noon at the Stepping Up
office in Providence. Curriculum included introductions to
keyboarding and typing; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; the
internet and email; and navigating the Windows 2010 interface. A
grant from New Roots Providence enabled Stepping Up to purchase 15
laptop computers for a mobile computer lab, allowing us to offer
a variety of computer classes ranging from basic to advanced levels.
Check back for more information on upcoming classes!
(February 3) The United Way of Rhode Island recently highlighted Stepping Up participant Mijanielle Achille as part of their "Impact Spotlight" newsletter. Mijanielle joined Stepping Up's community pipeline program in early 2008 and has since become one of Stepping Up's "star" participants! To read the newsletter, click here.
(January 11) The Stepping Up program, as well as
program participant Issamar De La Cruz, were recently featured in Women and Infants Hospital's 2010 Philanthropy Report!
Thank you to Women and Infants' for your continued support and
collaboration!