PORTAGE | A group of Valparaiso University students identified Portage Adult Education as one that makes a big difference in the lives of Porter County residents, but the future of the program remains in doubt.
Students in Martin Buinicki's Traditions of Giving and Serving in American Life course presented Portage Township School Board members with a $500 check this week, after identifying the program as one that meets a growing community need.
Through its satellite locations, the Portage Adult Education program offers adult learners in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper and Starke counties the opportunity to earn a high school diploma or their GED or learn the English language.
Buinicki, an English professor, said through a grant from the university's Project on Civic Reflection, students were asked to explore their own attitudes when it comes to charitable giving and donate $1,000 to benefit the community.
"The course allowed students not only to read famous texts from American history, but also to learn about the area, Porter County, and learn about the challenges we face," Buinicki said.
In addition to their contribution to Portage Township Schools, the group awarded $250 each to Alice's House, a halfway house for women with drug and alcohol problems, and New Creation Men's Center, a day center for homeless men.
School Board President Terry Hufford said the donation highlights the district's continued effort to serve the community. But, without a major funding increase, Superintendent Mike Berta said the fate of the program is up in the air.
Berta said an alliance formed to generate dollars that the program needs meets regularly, but some intervention by the Indiana General Assembly is needed in order to form a long-term solution.
"The adult education programs across the state are in dire straits financially," Berta said.
Berta said the district experiences a deficit near $300,000 each year, before it chips in for adult learners residing in Portage Township who use its services.
"We're nowhere near recouping that $2750,000 to $300,000," Berta said.
