Education, Training & Community:  Background

Nicole Johnson
Education, Training &
Community Services,
Division Manager

njohnson@gecac.org

Adhering to GECAC's mission, the Education, Training and Community Services Division (ETCS), promotes opportunities through education, training, and self-sufficiency services.  This division is committed to a holistic approach to strengthen the capacity of the family to care for itself and its children.  ETCS provides intensive case management to encourage economic independence as well as a network of services that includes:  educational and vocational counseling, adult and early childhood education, weatherization, housing, energy assistance, transportation and food services.

Education, Training & Community:  List Of Services

Alternative To Suspension

The American Lung Association's ATS Program is offered as an option to students who face suspension for violation of the school tobacco use policy.  Topics that are addressed include:  student tobacco use, addiction, healthy alternatives to smoking, and making the change to a non-smoker.  The four-hour program can be adjusted to fit the needs of individual schools. 

Debt & Delinquency 

The HUD local housing Counseling program provides default delinquency counseling to households seeking to improve their rental situations and to those who are behind in mortgage payments (as early as one month behind).  The program provides a combination of financial literacy classes and one-on-one counseling to assist families to develop measurable goals designed to help with the process of credit repair and increase their financial base.  

Family Savings Account

Offers a dollar-for-dollar match up to $2,000 for savers whose income is at or below 200% of the HSS poverty level

Refugee Family Savings - Same as Family Savings, but clients must possess an I-94 or Green Card to be eligible.  Allowed to save up to $2,000 and can participate for up to 3 years. 

Food Services

Meals are prepared at four kitchen sites in Erie City and County and delivered to serving sites or clients homes for GECAC and other community agencies on a fee for service basis.  Meals are delivered in bulk quantities by GECAC Transportation Services to GECAC Senior Centers for AAA Congregate Meal Programs and to GECAC Head Start centers and several child care centers.  Individually packed meals are delivered from each kitchen by Meals-On-Wheels volunteers to client homes for the AAA Home Delivered Meal Program. 

Money Works For You

This program is designed to improve the financial education and fitness of low income families in Erie County.  The four (4) primary goals are to:  

- Increase the financial literacy of low-income working families. 

- Increase the number of low-income working families who have a banking relationship. 

- Improve the condition of low-income working families

- Improve the knowledge base and skill level of Agency staff the work with low-income working families.

NOT on Tobacco

Not on Tobacco is a voluntary cessation program serving regular smokers 14 through 19 years of age.  The program's 10-session curriculum is designed to help students stop smoking, reduce the number of cigarettes smoked, increase healthy lifestyle behaviors, and improve life management skills.  NOT can be delivered in a school or community setting. 

Project Toward No Drug Abuse

Project Toward No Drug Abuse (Project TND) is a drug use prevention program for high school students.  The curriculum is designed to help students develop self-control, communication skills, as well as acquire resources to help them resist drug use, improve decision-making strategies, and develop the motivation to not use drugs.  The curriculum consists of twelve 40-50 minute interactive sessions taught by trained professionals or educators.  The TND curriculum provides services for high risk students in alternative high school settings, and traditional high school students with similar outcomes.  

Re-Entry

The GECAC Re-Entry program provides a comprehensive support program for inmates who are released and returning to Erie County - recognizing parolees' families as the key to successful reintegration.  The state partners for this program include the PA Department of Corrections, PA Board of Probation and Parole, PA Department of Public Welfare, PA Department of Health, and the Team PA Workforce Investment Board.   Local partners include:  the Greater Erie Community Action Committee (GECAC), Northwest PA Office of Drug and Alcohol, and the Erie County Sheriff's Office. 

Goals of The Re-Entry Program

- Prevent Repeat Offenses

- Ensure Public Safety

- Central coordination of reintegration resources

- Ensure the offender avoids criminal activity; builds and maintains healthy family relationships

- Ensure continuation of the initiative to serve the community 

Once the inmate is identified as eligible for this program, he/she will be transferred to a correctional institution in the Erie region.  Services include intensive case management, education and vocational training, housing services, AOD and mental health counseling, family development and mentoring. 

Email Anita McCoy amccoy@gecac.org  or phone (814) 459-4581 (ext. 410) for more information.

Section 8 Family Self-Sufficiency

Works with the Erie Housing Authority Section 8 clients to increase self-sufficiency.  As clients self-sufficiency increases, the Erie Housing Authority creates an escrow account for the resident to be used to improve their standard of living.  This escrow account can be rolled over into a Family Savings Account to be used toward the purchase of a home. 

Smoke's No Joke 

Smoke's No Joke is a summer campaign designed to encourage students ages 6 through 18 to pledge to have a tobacco free summer and to encourage others they know to live tobacco free.  The students sign a pledge card and are given an incentive to remind them of their promise.  

Talent Search

Educational Talent Search

This federally funded TRIO program identifies students in grades 6-12, with the potential for education beyond high school, encourages and assists them in graduation from high school and helps them to enroll into institutions of higher education.  Participants must meet eligibility requirements, including the 150% poverty guideline. 

Teens Against Tobacco Use 

Teens Against Tobacco Use is a youth empowerment program teaching kids to fight back against tobacco use.  Teens are trained in workshops to become teachers and role models, giving younger children information and motivation to resist the pressure to try tobacco.  This program benefits teen teachers as well as the children to whom they deliver the message. 

The College Access Program

This program is sponsored by the Greater Erie Community Action Committee (GECAC).  The program is funded by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) based in Washington D.C., through a grant from General Electric (GE).  The goal of the program is to provide academic assistance and career advisement to 75 East High School students in the 9th grade so that all participants will be successful in planning for college, enrolling in college, and completing college successfully.  Once participants graduate from college, the ultimate program outcome is for the participants to enter a career field which is both rewarding and meaningful. 

Upward Bound

Upward Bound

This federally funded TRIO program is designed to provide an opportunity for eligible high school students in grades 9-12 to succeed in their overall pre-college performance.  The program is designed to assist students to enroll in and graduate from a four-year post secondary instiution.  Instructional and tutorial services are provided in core high school subjects - composition/literature, foreign language, mathematics, and science.  Participants must meet eligibility requirements including the 150% poverty guideline.