May 14. 2008 Page B2 Turning onto a course toward productive lives What happens when a young person drops out o f high school? For many dropouts the answer is: unem ploym ent, drug abuse and trouble with the law. But there is still hope, even for adults who have missed out onaneducation and found them ­ selves enm eshed in the criminal ju s tic e sy stem : the L o n d er Learning Center. The center is a specialized education program operated by the M ultnomah County D epart­ ment o f C om m unity Justice. This unique school-within-a-pa- role-office provides adults on probation, parole, and in sub­ stance abuse treatment an op­ portunity to overcom e educa­ tional and work barriers, attain their GEDs and go to college. Last m onth, the program g rad u ated 50 stu d en ts who qualified for their GEDs. Since its inception 12 years ago, approximately 700 students have earned their GEDs from the Londer Learning Center, and Celebrating the completion o f their high school studies and a new course in life that puts them on a path toward productive lives are a group o f graduates from a Multnomah County Department of Community Justice program. Pictured are John Terry, Roberto Dominguez, instructor Melinda Maiterth, Denise Robertson, Heather O 'Neil, Elizabeth Candelario and Jarvis Zirkle. Get Ahead in a Professional Career Start a Rewarding Career in as little as one year! If you're looking to get ahead in some of today's most lucative careers, a solid education will get you started. Pioneer Pacific College offers college-level, career- focused training in the following in-demand fields: Business, Culinary Arts, Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Information Technology and Paralegal. GET FREE INFO! Call and we'll set up a FREE, no obligation tour. Find out if one of our career-focused education programs is right for you. 1 -888-827-2064 many more have worked to im­ prove reading, math, writing, En­ glish language skills, and to d e­ velop strategies for success in college and on the job. Among this year’s graduates are a m other and daughter who both earned GEDs, a student who spent two years struggling with severe math anxiety and a hom eless student whose road to recovery included education. This year, under a partner­ ship with Portland C om m unity College, Londer C enter gradu- •Financial Aid Available for those who qualify Locations in Wilsonville, Clackamas, Springfield and Portland Call for Developing Careers that Work Pioneer Pacific focuses on faster job track availability (comcast Plug into better opportunities ® (D Comcast Cable - It’s more exciting here to apply go to w w w .com cast.com /ca re ers Comcast Is an AA/EEO/drug free workplace employer r Yes, I want to support the Joyce Washington Scholarship Fund! Enclosed is my gift of $ __________ Please contact me about my pledge of S__________ T oday’s workforce is facing some challenges. Variable eco­ nomic drivers and the retire­ ment of many baby boom ers are leaving a gap in some o f the most i mportant employ ment sec­ to rs o u t th e re in c lu d in g healthcare, information technol­ ogy and the legal fields. Pioneer Pacific College, with c a m p u se s in W ilso n v ille , Clackamas and Portland, is work­ ing toward helping keep skilled workers i n these and several other employment fields by offering career-focused education in busi­ ness, criminaljustice,culinary arts, healthcare, information technol­ ogy and paralegal. “The focus o f colleges like ours is to help people improve their lives through education,” said Marci Hosier, director of m arketing and advertising at Pioneer Pacific. “ Many o f our students are either under-em ­ ployed or need to get into the workforce fast to start earning a living.” -------------------------------------------1 Joyce Washington Scholarship F and Apply online at our website: www. lanecounty. org/jobs Exp date Phone . Address City Email Walk-in: 125 East 8th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401 Jobline 682-4473 or for more info (541)-682-3665 Zip______ We invite people of diverse backgrounds to apply. EEO/ADA MAIL THIS FORM WITH PAYMENT TO: PO Box 3993 Portland Oregon 97208 Phone (503) 288-0033 L find funding for education and our dedicated financial aid staff is here to help”, said Hosier. If y ou're looking to start a career in business, law enforce­ ment or corrections, com puter systems adm inistration, m edi­ cal assisting, medical claims and billing, practical nursing, m as­ sage therapy, the culinary or baking and pastry arts, or the legal assistant and paralegal field, then you should contact Pioneer Pacific College on-line at pioneerpacific.edu or call 1- 866-772-4636. Classes start ev­ ery 8 weeks for culinary arts and every 10 weeks for all other programs. The next start date is June 3. Lane County Goyerntnent Name ___________________ State P ioneer Pacific o ffers d i­ plom a, ce rtificate, associate and b ach elo r deg rees in fields that are not only expanding but are activ ely looking for skilled em p lo y ees to step in and hit the ground running in the p o sitio n s they are hired for. The school prom otes a hands-on, career-focused ed u ­ cation that helps get people into the w orkforce faster. All cam puses offer career placem ent assistance so you can find that perfect jo b after you graduate and financial aid is available for those who qualify. “Financing should never be a reason that som eone can ’t go to school. There are many ways to Apply now for one of life’s great opportunities! American Express Card Number______________________ — My employer will match my gift. Pioneer Pacific College's campus in Wilsonville. GREAT JOBS HERE Please bill my credit card in the amount of $ __________ MasterCard read below an 8th grade level. Ninety-five percent o f all stu­ dents at the center cannot do math above a 5th grade level. Eighty percent of Londer stu­ dents have learning problem s that stem from past drug or alcohol abuse, or have other learning disabilities. But m ost Londer students make significant educational im­ provem ents, which translates into better chances for long­ term success and avoiding a return to prison or jail. www.pioneerpacific.edu Not all programs available at all locations, call for availability. □ Visa ates received a first-sem ester scholarship. A new “College Know ledge” class also helps graduates get ready to enroll and excel at PCC. Students are referred to the center by their parole officers, the courts, and treatm ent pro­ viders to improve reading, w rit­ ing and math skills, and their chances o f finding work. Like many form er prisoners, they are struggling to read and write. Statistics show that two-thirds o f inm ates in Oregon prisons j