Volunteer projects

Bella Luce Learning: An Educational Initiative for Women

Submitted by afabrizio on Sat, 12/06/2008 - 00:47.
Last updated on Thu, 08/06/2009 - 14:03.

Vital Stats

 ongoing project
  40
 60
 $750

Project Photos

The Problem

Bella Luce Learning is a not-for-profit educational initiative for women that serves the women of Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding communities. According to the US Census Bureau (data and estimates, 1999-2003), Gainesville’s population is 109,146, with 26.7% below poverty, compared to the statewide average of 12.5%. East Gainesville is characterized by the most widespread poverty, with 65% of households having incomes below the city average. For women specifically, the statistics for poverty are crushing. 58.3% of single mother households with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty. Additionally, East Gainesville also has a very low median education level (median completed grade level is 10.5) and percentage of single-parent households (14% compared to 9% county-wide). In fact, in the city of Gainesville over 6,000 people do not have high school diplomas. I believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances or the obstacles in their lives, deserves an equal access to a quality education. Gainesville, Florida is home to a large public university, but within a few miles from the campus' borders, the community is composed of rural and agricultural microcultures. Many of the women from Gainesville and the surrounding areas do not have access to a quality education at any point in their lives; for others, the demands of home and family force them to drop out of middle or high school.

Why It's Important

The mission of Bella Luce Learning is to serve and empower women through education. To this end, we provide a specific, consistent, and comprehensive education program to young women and mothers. The ultimate goal of Bella Luce Learning is for all young women and mothers to be able to receive a high school, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree. We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors. The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants. The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.

The Plan Of Action

Over the past two years, I have recruited approximately 18 volunteers and taught multiple 6-hour training sessions to prepare them for training. I have personally tutored over 10 different women in varying levels of education, and helped 6 of them receive a General Education Diploma or associate's degree. My volunteers together have served over 40 women in the community, many of whom continue to receive tutoring today. We have hosted financial management workshops, resume-writing workshops, and creative writing seminars. We have worked with several agencies in the Gainesville community to better serve the population, including Healthy Families of Alachua County, Early Learning Coalition, Arbor House Maternity Shelter, and Florida Works. In the past two years, we have also created a website and filed our articles of incorporation to become a Florida not-for-profit corporation.

How Can Others Get Involved?

 www.bellalucelearning.org
We are constantly recruiting and training new volunteers to serve as Bella Luce Learning tutors. If volunteers would like to help, but cannot make a weekly time commitment, we encourage them to work with us to plan a one-day workshop for mothers and children to attend. We also welcome monetary donations, or donations of GED preparatory books, calculators, gas cards, and other educational media.

Project Updates

08/6/09
Update: My project is an on-going service that provides one-on-one tutoring for women in the Gainesville community who are attempting to obtain their GED, or high-school equivalency degree. The portion of the project funded by the Teach Something grant was twofold. First, I worked with a University of Florida student group to prepare a workshop for my clients on finances and budgeting. The student group prepared worksheets and information sheets to hand out to the clients and also prepared an hour-long lesson and discussion on budgeting. We held the event at a park in Gainesville and invited both the clients and any of their children. The event also included a cookout for the women, their families, and the volunteers. Second, I began at outreach program to other university students across the US and Canada who are interested in starting a version of the Bella Luce Learning project in their own community. By hosting a table at the Clinton Global Initiative University program, I was able to contact over 20 other interested students and begin the process of setting up additional chapters of Bella Luce Learning on their campuses this fall. Winning a DoSomething grant allowed us to take on new projects that moved our organization into new and positive directions. First, holding the finance workshop was something that we have been hoping to do for the past year--having the money to provide food and materials for the workshop was exactly what we needed to make the event attractive to our clients. The DoSomething grant also helped us fund the day-to-day materials for our clients, which include GED prep books and GED calculators.

Additional hours volunteered: 300
Additional people impacted: 100
Additional people involved: 25

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Final Grant Update

08/6/09
Alexis Fabrizio
Number of people in the organization: 25
Number of people impacted: 100
Describe the impact the grant had: Winning a DoSomething grant allowed us to take on new projects that moved our organization into new and positive directions. First, holding the finance workshop was something that we have been hoping to do for the past year--having the money to provide food and materials for the workshop was exactly what we needed to make the event attractive to our clients. The DoSomething grant also helped us fund the day-to-day materials for our clients, which include GED prep books and GED calculators.
Project highlights: 1. Clients were able to learn more about financing and developing a budget. 2. New volunteers in Gainesville were brought into the Bella Luce Learning project and may continue to be involved in the future. 3. The range of the project will expand from a single community in Florida to numerous communities throughout North America over the next year.
How did the project unfold and develop? My project is an on-going service that provides one-on-one tutoring for women in the Gainesville community who are attempting to obtain their GED, or high-school equivalency degree. The portion of the project funded by the Teach Something grant was twofold. First, I worked with a University of Florida student group to prepare a workshop for my clients on finances and budgeting. The student group prepared worksheets and information sheets to hand out to the clients and also prepared an hour-long lesson and discussion on budgeting. We held the event at a park in Gainesville and invited both the clients and any of their children. The event also included a cookout for the women, their families, and the volunteers. Second, I began at outreach program to other university students across the US and Canada who are interested in starting a version of the Bella Luce Learning project in their own community. By hosting a table at the Clinton Global Initiative University program, I was able to contact over 20 other interested students and begin the process of setting up additional chapters of Bella Luce Learning on their campuses this fall.

Location

Related Causes:
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Is this a...: 
ongoing project
Web site link: 
www.bellalucelearning.org
How many people are directly involved in your project? : 
60
How many people has your project helped?  : 
40
Location(s)



Gainesville, FL, 32601
See map: Google Maps
What's the problem you are trying to solve?: 
     Bella Luce Learning is a not-for-profit educational initiative for women that serves the women of Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding communities. According to the US Census Bureau (data and estimates, 1999-2003), Gainesville’s population is 109,146, with 26.7% below poverty, compared to the statewide average of 12.5%.  East Gainesville is characterized by the most widespread poverty, with 65% of households having incomes below the city average. For women specifically, the statistics for poverty are crushing. 58.3% of single mother households with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty.
     Additionally, East Gainesville also has a very low median education level (median completed grade level is 10.5) and percentage of single-parent households (14% compared to 9% county-wide). In fact, in the city of Gainesville over 6,000 people do not have high school diplomas. 
     I believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances or the obstacles in their lives, deserves an equal access to a quality education. Gainesville, Florida is home to a large public university, but within a few miles from the campus' borders, the community is composed of rural and agricultural microcultures. Many of the women from Gainesville and the surrounding areas do not have access to a quality education at any point in their lives; for others, the demands of home and family force them to drop out of middle or high school.
Why is it important to you?: 
     The mission of Bella Luce Learning is to serve and empower women through education. To this end, we provide a specific, consistent, and comprehensive education program to young women and mothers. The ultimate goal of Bella Luce Learning is for all young women and mothers to be able to receive a high school, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree.
     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
     The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants.  The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.
     
What's your plan of action?: 
     Over the past two years, I have recruited approximately 18 volunteers and taught multiple 6-hour training sessions to prepare them for training. I have personally tutored over 10 different women in varying levels of education, and helped 6 of them receive a General Education Diploma or associate's degree.
     My volunteers together have served over 40 women in the community, many of whom continue to receive tutoring today. We have hosted financial management workshops, resume-writing workshops, and creative writing seminars. We have worked with several agencies in the Gainesville community to better serve the population, including Healthy Families of Alachua County, Early Learning Coalition, Arbor House Maternity Shelter, and Florida Works. 
   In the past two years, we have also created a website and filed our articles of incorporation to become a Florida not-for-profit corporation.
How Can Others Help?: 
We are constantly recruiting and training new volunteers to serve as Bella Luce Learning tutors. If volunteers would like to help, but cannot make a weekly time commitment, we encourage them to work with us to plan a one-day workshop for mothers and children to attend. We also welcome monetary donations, or donations of GED preparatory books, calculators, gas cards, and other educational media.


Total hours volunteered (to date): 
175
Money Raised: 
$750

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     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
     The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants.  The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.
     
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     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
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See map: Google Maps
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     The mission of Bella Luce Learning is to serve and empower women through education. To this end, we provide a specific, consistent, and comprehensive education program to young women and mothers. The ultimate goal of Bella Luce Learning is for all young women and mothers to be able to receive a high school, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree.
     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
     The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants.  The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.
     

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What's your plan of action?: 
     Over the past two years, I have recruited approximately 18 volunteers and taught multiple 6-hour training sessions to prepare them for training. I have personally tutored over 10 different women in varying levels of education, and helped 6 of them receive a General Education Diploma or associate's degree.
     My volunteers together have served over 40 women in the community, many of whom continue to receive tutoring today. We have hosted financial management workshops, resume-writing workshops, and creative writing seminars. We have worked with several agencies in the Gainesville community to better serve the population, including Healthy Families of Alachua County, Early Learning Coalition, Arbor House Maternity Shelter, and Florida Works. 
   In the past two years, we have also created a website and filed our articles of incorporation to become a Florida not-for-profit corporation.

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How Can Others Help?: 
We are constantly recruiting and training new volunteers to serve as Bella Luce Learning tutors. If volunteers would like to help, but cannot make a weekly time commitment, we encourage them to work with us to plan a one-day workshop for mothers and children to attend. We also welcome monetary donations, or donations of GED preparatory books, calculators, gas cards, and other educational media.



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What's the problem you are trying to solve?: 
     Bella Luce Learning is a not-for-profit educational initiative for women that serves the women of Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding communities. According to the US Census Bureau (data and estimates, 1999-2003), Gainesville’s population is 109,146, with 26.7% below poverty, compared to the statewide average of 12.5%.  East Gainesville is characterized by the most widespread poverty, with 65% of households having incomes below the city average. For women specifically, the statistics for poverty are crushing. 58.3% of single mother households with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty.
     Additionally, East Gainesville also has a very low median education level (median completed grade level is 10.5) and percentage of single-parent households (14% compared to 9% county-wide). In fact, in the city of Gainesville over 6,000 people do not have high school diplomas. 
     I believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances or the obstacles in their lives, deserves an equal access to a quality education. Gainesville, Florida is home to a large public university, but within a few miles from the campus' borders, the community is composed of rural and agricultural microcultures. Many of the women from Gainesville and the surrounding areas do not have access to a quality education at any point in their lives; for others, the demands of home and family force them to drop out of middle or high school.
Why is it important to you?: 
     The mission of Bella Luce Learning is to serve and empower women through education. To this end, we provide a specific, consistent, and comprehensive education program to young women and mothers. The ultimate goal of Bella Luce Learning is for all young women and mothers to be able to receive a high school, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree.
     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
     The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants.  The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.
     
What's your plan of action?: 
     Over the past two years, I have recruited approximately 18 volunteers and taught multiple 6-hour training sessions to prepare them for training. I have personally tutored over 10 different women in varying levels of education, and helped 6 of them receive a General Education Diploma or associate's degree.
     My volunteers together have served over 40 women in the community, many of whom continue to receive tutoring today. We have hosted financial management workshops, resume-writing workshops, and creative writing seminars. We have worked with several agencies in the Gainesville community to better serve the population, including Healthy Families of Alachua County, Early Learning Coalition, Arbor House Maternity Shelter, and Florida Works. 
   In the past two years, we have also created a website and filed our articles of incorporation to become a Florida not-for-profit corporation.
How Can Others Help?: 
We are constantly recruiting and training new volunteers to serve as Bella Luce Learning tutors. If volunteers would like to help, but cannot make a weekly time commitment, we encourage them to work with us to plan a one-day workshop for mothers and children to attend. We also welcome monetary donations, or donations of GED preparatory books, calculators, gas cards, and other educational media.



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Total hours volunteered (to date): 
175

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Money Raised: 
$750

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                    [#children] => 
Total hours volunteered (to date): 
175
Money Raised: 
$750

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Is this a...: 
ongoing project
Web site link: 
www.bellalucelearning.org
How many people are directly involved in your project? : 
60
How many people has your project helped?  : 
40
Location(s)



Gainesville, FL, 32601
See map: Google Maps
What's the problem you are trying to solve?: 
     Bella Luce Learning is a not-for-profit educational initiative for women that serves the women of Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding communities. According to the US Census Bureau (data and estimates, 1999-2003), Gainesville’s population is 109,146, with 26.7% below poverty, compared to the statewide average of 12.5%.  East Gainesville is characterized by the most widespread poverty, with 65% of households having incomes below the city average. For women specifically, the statistics for poverty are crushing. 58.3% of single mother households with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty.
     Additionally, East Gainesville also has a very low median education level (median completed grade level is 10.5) and percentage of single-parent households (14% compared to 9% county-wide). In fact, in the city of Gainesville over 6,000 people do not have high school diplomas. 
     I believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances or the obstacles in their lives, deserves an equal access to a quality education. Gainesville, Florida is home to a large public university, but within a few miles from the campus' borders, the community is composed of rural and agricultural microcultures. Many of the women from Gainesville and the surrounding areas do not have access to a quality education at any point in their lives; for others, the demands of home and family force them to drop out of middle or high school.
Why is it important to you?: 
     The mission of Bella Luce Learning is to serve and empower women through education. To this end, we provide a specific, consistent, and comprehensive education program to young women and mothers. The ultimate goal of Bella Luce Learning is for all young women and mothers to be able to receive a high school, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree.
     We provide free one-on-one tutoring for any woman in the community. Our volunteers are typically University of Florida students who have undergone an intensive training process to prepare them for the experience and demands of tutoring. Tutoring usually takes place at the client's home, twice a week for an hour each session. Our program has proven effective and transformative for our participants, as they gain self-confidence and empowerment from the education and encouragement they receive from their tutors.
     The Bella Luce Learning tutoring program not only provides a comprehensive education program for participants but also creates a strong bond between volunteer tutors and program participants.  The program provides a comfortable environment for interaction, effective and passionate volunteers, and tutoring at the time and location most convenient for clients, all implemented for the purpose of maximizing the positive impact it has on the participants.
     
What's your plan of action?: 
     Over the past two years, I have recruited approximately 18 volunteers and taught multiple 6-hour training sessions to prepare them for training. I have personally tutored over 10 different women in varying levels of education, and helped 6 of them receive a General Education Diploma or associate's degree.
     My volunteers together have served over 40 women in the community, many of whom continue to receive tutoring today. We have hosted financial management workshops, resume-writing workshops, and creative writing seminars. We have worked with several agencies in the Gainesville community to better serve the population, including Healthy Families of Alachua County, Early Learning Coalition, Arbor House Maternity Shelter, and Florida Works. 
   In the past two years, we have also created a website and filed our articles of incorporation to become a Florida not-for-profit corporation.
How Can Others Help?: 
We are constantly recruiting and training new volunteers to serve as Bella Luce Learning tutors. If volunteers would like to help, but cannot make a weekly time commitment, we encourage them to work with us to plan a one-day workshop for mothers and children to attend. We also welcome monetary donations, or donations of GED preparatory books, calculators, gas cards, and other educational media.


Total hours volunteered (to date): 
175
Money Raised: 
$750

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nweinstein says:
 

wow, you have already done so much work! tutoring is such a great way to give back. i know myself, i tutored underprivileged children for a few months and it was so rewarding. this project looks so good and you are very far on your way. if you need any other help, i suggest applying for a Do Something grant! good luck!!

 
AYSR says:
 

Hi,
I would really love your help on what I'm trying to start you can read all about in my project file. I live in Ocala so not to far away. You give my info contact so that I can talk to you more about it.