Literacy Coalition Partners

Featured Partner:
The City of West Palm Beach

Left to Right: Matthew Street, Ferdinand Clarke, Jr. and Shawn Stanley

The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County has partnered with the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department to provide onsite workplace instruction since 2008. Our instructors provide weekly GED classes, as well as classes to help employees pass certification exams related to their work in the City’s Water Department.

The certification exams require knowledge of many topics including water law codes, public safety, water storage and distribution, as well as advanced mathematical calculations. Students are grateful for the dedicated time and instruction to help them achieve their work-related goals.

Three students were especially proud to share the progress they’ve made this year by attending classes. In March, Ferdinand Clarke, Jr., Shawn Stanley and Matthew Street successfully completed their Florida Rural Water Association Water Distribution Operator residential exam and are now eligible to move forward to take the State’s commercial certification exam – a requirement for all utility employees.

All three students expressed how the classes offered by the Literacy Coalition have helped them. Ferdinand shared, “Before attending study class, I was having difficulty with the math. But in class we had hands-on practice with it; we could focus on it.”

“Going to class helped because math and technical definitions were broken down by our instructor to the simplest form, which made it so that everybody understood,” Matthew said. Without focused study, it is difficult to pass the state exams. “Completing the residential exam is necessary and it’s important because it prepares us to have a deeper understanding of the water aspect of the state’s commercial certification test,” Shawn said.
Ferdinand, Shawn and Matthew will continue attending the study class as they prepare for the State’s commercial certification test.

Thank you to our program partners for investing in literacy:

• 21st Century Community Learning Centers
  Achievement Centers for Children and Families
  Acts of Kindness Community Development, Inc.
  Adopt-a-Family of the Palm Beaches
  Afterschool Connections at Franklin Academy
  American Association of Caregiving Youth
  The ARC of Palm Beach County
  Believers Academy
  Belvedere Elementary & Afterschool
  Benoist Farms Elementary & Afterschool
  Bethesda Memorial Hospital
  Boca Raton Medical Center
  Boca Raton Museum of Art
  Boynton Beach City Library
  Boynton Beach Community High School
  Bridges at Belle Glade
  Bridges at Boynton Beach
  Bridges at Highland
  Bridges at Lake Park
  Bridges at Lake Worth
  Bridges at Lake Worth West
  Bridges at Northwood
  Bridges at Pahokee
  Bridges at Riviera Beach
  Bridges at West Palm Beach
  Brito Medical Center
  Caridad Center
  Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County
  Children’s Academy of Lake Worth
  Children’s Clinic
  Children’s Home Society of Florida
  Children’s Physicians
  Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County
  City of Greenacres
  City of West Palm Beach
  C.L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics
  Clinics Can Help
  Community Greening
  Community Partners of South Florida
  C.O. Taylor / Kirklane Elementary & Afterschool
  CROS Ministries
  Crosspointe Elementary & Afterschool
  Delray Pediatrics
  DePorres Place
  Digital Vibez
  Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary
  Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary & Afterschool
  Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center
  El Sol
  Executive Women of the Palm Beaches Foundation
  Faith Farms Ministries
  Faith Lutheran Afterschool
  Families First of Palm Beach County
  Feeding South Florida
  First Steps to Success
  Florida Atlantic University
  Pine Jog Afterschool
  Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County
  Florence Fuller Child Development Center
  Forest Hill Community High School
  Forest Park Elementary
  FoundCare
  Freedom Shores Elementary Afterschool
  Frenchman’s Creek Country Club
  Gaines Park Community Center, City of West Palm Beach
  Galaxy E3 Elementary & Afterschool
  Glades Initiative
  Gentle Medicine Associates, Inc.
  Golden Grove Elementary Afterschool
  Good Samaritan Medical Center
  Gove Elementary
  Greenacres Elementary Afterschool
  Grove Park Elementary
  The Guatemalan-Maya Center
  Gulfstream Goodwill Industries Transition to Life Academy
  Hagen Road Elementary
  Hammock Pointe Elementary
  Healthy Beginnings Nurses
  Healthy Families
  Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County
  High Point Academy
  HomeSafe
  Hope-Centennial Elementary & Afterschool
  Indian Pines Elementary
  Inwater Research Group
  Johnson Scholars Program
  Jupiter Elementary
  Jupiter Medical Center
  Jupiter Pediatric Associates
  Kids at Work Learning Center
  Kingswood Academy Afterschool, Greenacres
  Lakeside Medical Center
  Lake Worth Community High School
  Lake Worth Pediatrics
  Lantana Elementary & Afterschool
  Leadership Palm Beach County
  League of Women Voters Palm Beach County
  Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County
  Lincoln Elementary
  Living Hungry
  The Lord’s Place, Inc.
  Loving Tender Pediatrics
  Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
  Mary Hunt “Love Education” Foundation
  Meadow Park Elementary & Afterschool
  The Mission Medical Center
  New Hope Charities, Inc., Afterschool Program
  Northmore Elementary Afterschool
  Nurse Family Partnership
  Orchard View Elementary & Afterschool
  Pahokee Pediatric Associates
  Palm Beach County Community Services Department
  Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management
  Palm Beach County Food Bank
  Palm Beach County Library System
  Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
  Palm Beach County Youth Services Department
  Palm Beach Lakes Community High School
  Palm Beach Pediatrics
  Palm Beach Symphony
  Palm Springs Elementary Afterschool
  Palms West Hospital
  Path to College
  Pediatric Associates
  Pediatric Center of Belle Glade
  Pediatric Place
  Physicians Park Medical Group
  Pine Grove Elementary
  Pleasant City Elementary Afterschool
  Plumosa School of the Arts & Afterschool
  Poinciana Elementary Afterschool
  Prime Time Palm Beach County
  Rolling Green Elementary & Afterschool
  Royal Palm Beach Community High School
  Royal Palm Pediatrics
  The School District of Palm Beach County
  The School District of Palm Beach County – Department of Adult Education
  Soma Medical Centers
  South Olive Elementary Afterschool
  South Tech Academy
  Special Olympics Florida
  Palm Beach County
  Spirit of Giving Network
  Starlight Cove Elementary
  St. Mary’s Medical Center
  Take Stock in Children
  Tenet Florida Physicians Services
  Town of Palm Beach United Way
  United Way of Palm Beach County
  Village Academy
  Volunteer Florida
  Wellington Regional Medical Center
  West Boca Medical Center
  Westward Elementary & Afterschool
  Women’s Circle
  Women’s Health Initiative
  Youth Making Ripples

Our apologies to any partner that may have been inadvertently omitted.