Education Empowerment

“What does it really take to improve education? Research shows that supportive communities, effective schools and strong families must be in place, supported by early, sustained investment and driven by proven strategies.” – United Way

The UMMA Center’s Education Empowerment (EE) program is geared towards empowering the low income ‘at-risk’ individuals in Lake County with free GED, computer training, and financial literacy programs. All of the students at the UMMA Center are considered low income as defined by poverty standards of Illinois. Almost all high paying jobs require at least a high school diploma as a prerequisite for employment. The EE program serves over 200 students per year – our students range in age from 16 to 55.

The UMMA Centers EE program recognizes that many of our students left high school for various reasons at a young age. Therefore, the UMMA Center ensures that our educational offerings are personalized to meet each student's needs. The free GED classes and tutoring provided by the UMMA Center help students pass their GED exam and enroll in future career development programs in Lake County.

Furthermore, low income areas in Lake County have a large percentage of adults that do not have basic computer skills. For residents to obtain higher paying employment, a proficiency in commonly used computer programs must be developed. UMMA center runs introduction and intermediate computer training classes which provide the computer fundamentals needed to gain higher paying employment. The computer training curriculum is geared towards teaching programs that are commonly used in the business world.

Also, the financial literacy seminars provided by the UMMA center address the lack of understanding of basic financial principles for low-income residents. The seminars are geared towards developing basics skills in understanding the importance of good credit, getting out of debt, setting up and maintaining a home budget. Financial empowerment is the primary goal for these classes.. For any of the students enrolled in the seminars and/or classes, the UMMA center provides free career education development as well. This career development is geared towards developing an education plan that will help our students achieve their career objectives.