MERCY LEARNING CENTER OF BRIDGEPORT INC
637 PARK AVENUE, BRIDGEPORT, CT 06604 www.mercylearningcenter.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: MERCY LEARNING CENTER OF BRIDGEPORT, INC. (MLC) PROVIDES BASIC LITERACY AND LIFE SKILLS TRAINING TO LOW-INCOME WOMEN USING A HOLISTIC APPROACH WITHIN A COMPASSIONATE, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. ALL WOMEN ARE WELCOME WITHOUT REGARD FOR RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, CREED, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR NATIONAL ORIGIN. Mercy Learning Center has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020. This response was to sustain the students and their families with basic needs-food, diapers, rent and utilities while they were quarantined, unemployed, and maintaining social distancing as required to control the spread of the virus. This increased donor financial and in-kind support is evident in the elevated amounts of outreach this year.

THE CENTER EDUCATES LOW INCOME,UNDEREDUC- ATED WOMEN FROM PRE-LITERACY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL FREE OF CHARGE.PREPA- RATION FOR THE GED AND THE NEDP HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCIES ARE PROVIDED

TUTORING PROGRAM - MERCY LEARNING CENTER'S PART-TIME TUTORING PROGRAM SERVES THE MAJORITY OF THE ADULT LEARNERS ENROLLED AT THE CENTER. THE FLEXIBILITY OF PART-TIME ATTENDANCE ALLOWS WORKING WOMEN AND THOSE WITH OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES OR LIMITATIONS THE ABILITY TO PURSUE THEIR GOALS OF FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATION. ALL OF THE ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT MERCY LEARNING CENTER ARE AIMED AT INCREASING WOMEN'S EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONING LEVELS SO THAT THEY MAY BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE AND THE COMMUNITY. STUDENTS WHO ENTER THIS PROGRAM RANGE FROM THE NON-READER TO THOSE PREPARING FOR A HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY. IN 2019-2020, 934 WOMEN WHO HAILED FROM 56 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM, 98% OF WHOM WERE LIVING AT OR BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. THESE STUDENTS RECEIVED INSTRUCTION ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS OR IN A SMALL GROUP SETTING OR PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THE TWO PART TIME BEGINNER ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) CLASSES. TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSES $1,240,489.

INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAM - MERCY LEARNING CENTER'S FULL-TIME ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM, CALLED THE INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAM, OFFERS CLASSROOM-BASED INSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL), ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (ABE) LEVELS I, II, III, AND GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (GED) PREPARATION CLASSES. LED BY CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS, THE CLASSES ARE KEPT TO A MAXIMUM OF 20-25 STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FIVE HOURS DAILY (M-F) OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IN SUBJECT AREAS THAT INCLUDE SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE, MATH, COMPUTER, AND WRITING. PERIODIC ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS/GUEST SPEAKERS OFFER STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS AND ENHANCE THEIR TALENTS. MERCY LEARNING CENTER IS OPEN YEAR ROUND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF JULY. THE FULL-TIME INTENSIVE STUDY PROGRAM OPERATES FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE, IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE CONFLICTS FOR MOTHERS WHO HAVE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN THE 2019-2020 ACADEMIC YEAR, 156 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM AND 33 RECEIVED HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS. TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSES $715,666.

MLC EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM IS A STATE OF CONNECTICUT LICENSED SERVICE THAT ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO LEARNING AND PROVIDES AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE RECEIVE FROM A FORMAL PRESCHOOL EXPERIENCE. WHILE THE MOTHERS STRIVE TO REACH THEIR EDUCATIONAL GOALS IN MERCY LEARNING CENTER'S ADULT LITERACY AND LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMS, THEIR CHILDREN ARE CARED FOR AND INTRODUCED TO EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING IN THE CENTER'S ON-SITE INFANT, TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL ROOMS. THE CENTER AND ITS EDUCATIONAL CHILDCARE PROGRAM IS OPEN WEEKDAYS FROM 8 AM TO 5 PM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN JULY. IN 2019-2020, MERCY LEARNING CENTER SERVED 157 CHILDREN WHO RANGED IN AGE FROM THREE MONTHS TO FIVE YEARS. TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSES $429,400.

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