Phone: 281-885-4616

"To learn English . . . to get a GED . . . to prepare for citizenship . . . to learn to read . . . to learn computer skills . . . to prepare for a better job . . . to have a chance at a better life."

NAM's Learning Center participants are looking for a chance at a better life. Education is one of the basic tools with which NAM clients can implement their plan for a better tomorrow.

Individuals who seek a different direction for their lives can take the first steps by improving their training or learning new skills.

NAM's Learning Center provides classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), General Educational Development (GED) test preparation, reading and writing literacy, job search seminars, financial literacy, legal seminars, US Citizenship/Naturalization seminars, and when available computer classes. Classes are open to all Houston residents and are offered free or at reduced cost. NAM also collaborates with the Spring Independent School District on educational projects for families through a program called Even Start.

Through the Learning Center, 41,161 hours of instruction were provided to 3,690 students in Adult Basic Education and GED, English as a Second Language, English Literacy, Civics, Computer Training, and Career Development & Training.

All events take place at the main Northwest Assistance Ministries location, 15555 Kuykendahl Rd, Learning Center - 4^th floor, Houston, TX 77090, unless otherwise stated. To register or for more information on any of the upcoming events please call the RLC Information Line at 281-885-4616 or email balderson-shields@namonline.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Through the NAM Rotary Learning Center we are able to offer a variety of wonderful upcoming classes and seminars. 

Note: All classes and seminars at NAM are presented for the benefit of all the students/clients, therefore unless otherwise stated children under the age of 16 will not be permitted please make outside arrangements for caregiving services. Student arriving more than 15 minutes late for class/seminar may be turned away by NAM staff. We appreciate your assistance in making this a safe, secure and effective learning environment for everyone.

Atención: Como sucede con  todos los seminarios de educación aquí en  NAM,  no se permite la entrada a estas clases a niños menores de 16 años. Estos seminarios son para los padres de familia y el plan de estudios está diseñado para que aprendan a relacionarse con sus hijos. Por lo que les pedimos que hagan arreglos previos. Por respeto a los maestros voluntarios y otros clientes, cualquier persona que llegue más de 15 minutos tarde a una sesión será rechazada por el personal de NAM o voluntario. Le agradecemos su colaboración en hacer de éste un ambiente seguro y eficaz de aprendizaje para todos.

Reading and Writing Literacy (Adult Basic Education)

Northwest Assistance Ministries announces the next registration for our upcoming Reading Literacy program in August. According to a study completed in 2009 by the US Department of Education 1 in 5 people (21%) of Harris County residents lack the basic skills necessary to read and understand a newspaper, flyer or brochure. Recognizing the need for basic reading and writing literacy for English-speaking people in the Houston area, Northwest Assistance Ministries has partnered with Literacy Advance of Houston to provide individualized tutoring for adults. To print out a flyer to share, that contains some clues that may identify someone who may benefit from this program please select this link.

·       Free for any English-speaking person age 18 and over

·       1-on-1 confidential tutoring

·       Tutoring based upon student need

·       Learn at your own pace

·       Day and Evening sessions available depending on tutor availability

·       Registration: January 2012, Exact Date To Be Determined (TBD)

○      1:00-2:30 p.m.

○      6:00-7:30 p.m.

·       Students will meet either twice a week for 2 hours or once a week for 3 hours depending on students’ and tutor schedules.

·       Tutoring sessions will begin Late January or Early February 2012. 

·       Question? Please call 281-885-4626 or email balderson-shields@namonline.org

Financial Literacy Classes – 2012

Through our Partnership with The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston and Money Management International™ Northwest Assistance Ministries is proud to present an ongoing series of Financial Literacy Classes every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. There will also be an additional focus of four more classes being presented on April 12th during the 2012 Houston Money Week Houston event April 9-15.  Utilizing the series of classes designed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC™), Texas AgriLife Extension Service and US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the Federal Reserve, and Money Management International’s Journey Series™ there are a total of 24 different courses being presented this year at NAM. 

The regular Financial Literacy Classes are held the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 437.  As with all the classes being presented at NAM the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. We look forward to seeing you. For our most current brochure regarding our financial literacy classes please select this link.

2012 Regular Financial Classes (2nd - 4th Tuesday of Every Month) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Date	Class
January 10	Money Matters
January 24	Setting Goals and Priorities: Choose your financial destination
February 14	Money Math
February 28	Managing Income and Expenses: Getting from here to there
March 13	Borrowing Basics
March 27	Building Savings: Ready for the road ahead
No Regularly Scheduled 2nd Tuesday (April 10, 2012) due to Houston Money Week Fair
April 24	Creating Wealth: Stocking up for the long haul
May 8	To Your Credit
May 22	Important Papers Reference Guide: Your travel log
June 12	Charge It Right
June 26	Using Credit Wisely: Curves ahead
July 10	Pay Yourself First
July 24	Credit Reports and Credit Scores: Getting the most mileage from credit
August 14	Bank on It
August 28	Keeping Debt Under Control: Avoid detours
September 11	Check it Out
September 25	When Income Decreases but the Bills Don’t
October 9	Fundamentals of Investing
October 23	Planning for the Holidays
November 13	Financial Recovery
November 27	The Art of the Scam: Avoiding scams and fraud
December 11	Money for Life
No Regularly Scheduled 4nd Tuesday (December 27th, 2012) due to Christmas Holiday

Houston Money Week Financial & Health Literacy Fair Thursday, April 12, 2012
Time & Location	Class
12:00 – 1:30 pm (2nd floor – 50+)	Lunch & Learn: Financial Recovery Presented by The Womens Resource of Greater Houston & Woodforest Bank
1:00 – 2:15 pm (Room 437)	Cuestiones de dinero  (Money Matters en Español) Presentado por The Womens Resource of Greater Houston y Woodforest Bank
2:00 – 3:15 pm (Room 432)	The Art of the Scam: Avoiding scams and fraud Presented by Money Management International
3:30 – 5:00 pm (Room 437)	When Income Decreases but the Bills Don’t Presented by Money Management International

GED Preparation Classes & English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes 

Lone Star College GED Preparation and ESL Free Classes hosted by NAM         

NAM partners with Lone Star College Adult Education Offices to offer free GED Test Preparation and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at our location.  

The Spring term will be held starting January 17th and will end on June21st.  Lone Star College will be holding testing at their locations listed below for all the campuses. Registration is first come first serve therefore it is recommended you arrive at least 2 hours early.

El término primavera se llevará a cabo a partir 17 de enero y terminará el 21 de junio. Lone Star College llevará a cabo controles en los lugares indicados a continuación para todos los campus. Debido a la demanda el cupo es limitado, se recomienda llegar al menos 2 horas antes de comenzar la prueba.

Classes Times at NAM	GED Test Preparation Classes	English as a Second Language (ESL) / Clases de Inglés como Segundo Idioma
	Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.	Monday through Thursday/ Lunes a Jueves 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Registration and Assessment/ Registración y Prueba :

Date Fecha	Testing Time Tiempo de Prueba	Testing Location Localización de prueba	Class Times Tiempo de clase
January 7, 2012 7 de enero	9 am – 3 pm (ESL) 10 am – 2 pm (GED)	Lone Star College – Greenspoint Center 250 N. Sam Houston Parkway East Houston, TX 77060-2009	Saturday classes / , Clase de Sábado – For example / Por ejemplo: North Harris and Victory Center 9am to 3 pm. .
January 7, 2012 7 de enero	9 am – 3 pm (ESL) 10 am – 2 pm (GED)	Lone Star College – Victory Center 4141 Victory Drive Houston, Texas 77088
January 9, 2012 9 de enero	3 pm – 9 pm	Lone Star College – Greenspoint Center 250 N. Sam Houston Parkway East Houston, TX 77060-2009	Evening classes / Clase de noche – For example / Por ejemplo: North Harris College 6 pm to 9 pm
January 11, 2012 11 de enero	9 am – 3 pm	Lone Star College – Greenspoint Center 250 N. Sam Houston Parkway East Houston, TX 77060-2009	Morning classes / Clase de mañana – For example / Por ejemplo: NAM 9 am to 12 pm (ESL) 9 am to 12:30 pm (GED)

Note: The registration and testing being given at Lone Star College is to fill any vacant slots in classes that have already started.  All the students who took classes at the various Lone Star Locations in the Fall will be returning in the Spring.  Therefore, some locations and some classes will already be full.  Students testing will be informed when they register if the location is still open or what locations still have space available.  Classes at NAM are full; there may be one or two openings.  You will need to discuss this will testing personnel at registration.

For more information regarding the free GED Test Preparation and ESL classes taught at NAM or other locations in the area please contact Lone Star College Adult Education Office at 281-260-3576 or visit http://www.lonestar.edu/adult-education-nharris.htm.

Requirements for the GED and ESL classes:

• Assessment and orientation is required prior to entering the program. Also, students must attend the first week of class before they are officially enrolled.
• All Students must present a valid ID or driver’s license at the time of Registration / Assessment.
• Minimum age: 17 years with parental permission, an official withdrawal from school and a valid photo ID. Parental permission forms may be obtained in the Adult Education Office at the Lone Star College-Greenspoint Center.
• Students over 18 years of age will need a valid photo ID. 
• Students must be assessed BEFORE entering the program and must attend the first week of class before they are enrolled.
• All students must attend only one day of Registration / Assessment and remain for the duration of the Registration / Assessment.
• There are no visitors, children or auditing students allowed in the classrooms.
• Good attendance is required.

NAM is not a GED Testing Location

Please be aware that Northwest Assistance Ministries offers GED Preparation classes only, we are not authorized by the state to proctor the GED test itself. Please contact one of the local Colleges or Universities in the area for their testing information. The test prices for the colleges in the Houston area vary from $41 to $100. For a complete list of those locations you can access the list from the official GED Testing Service website.

Other Free GED and ESL Classes in the area not offered at NAM

Students wanting to participate in a free GED or ESL program and unable to register for one of the Lone Star College locations should contact Harris County Department of Education Adult Education Office (713-692-6216) for a list of their locations registering. Please also be aware that the Harris County Public Libraries, including Barbara Bush (281-376-4610) or Aldine (281-445-5560), also offer free ESL programs in this area.

Parenting Seminars 

NAM is proud to present The ARK Parenting program for Parents and Other Adult Caregivers.  ARK helps adults learn how to discipline inappropriate behavior while still affirming the worth of the child. In enabling children to value themselves in spite of their imperfections, it provides young people with the ego strength to say “no” to negative peer pressure.

Participants will be expected to attend an orientation session, as well as a series of Ten (10) Sessions.  Class size is limited. Participants who attend all ten class sessions will receive a certificate of completion for the Parenting Classes.  For those participating under court-order or as a condition of Child Protective Services please verify in advance that the court/CPS will accept this certificate.

Please be aware this class is intended for adults only who are Parents or other Caregivers.  There are other ARK classes designed for Teens and Kids; however NAM will not be offering the classes.  For the Teen or Kids classes please contact The ARK Group at (281) 537-1301 or via email at info@thearkgroup.org.

·       Next Session will be

○      Orientation Date:  January 17^th, 2012

○      Date:    Every Tuesday Night starting January 24^th, 2012 thru March 27^th, 2012

○      Time:  6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

○      Room:  Learning Center Room 438, 4th Floor

For our most current brochure regarding our parenting seminar please select this link. 

Seminarios Para Padres – Programa de ARK

El Programa de ARK (Adults Relating to Kids o adultos relacionándose con los niños) se basa en investigaciones realizadas por el Grupo ARK en colaboración con la Universidad de Texas de Salud Pública. Esta investigación innovadora reveló un nuevo prototipo para aumentar la autoestima en los niños. En lugar de ser el resultado de una interpretación, una buena autoestima en los niños se genera a través del amor incondicional que reciben de un adulto (padre, maestro, consejero, etc.), quienes son la parte central en la vida del niño.

Los participantes deberán asistir a una sesión de orientación, la asistencia se tomará en cuenta. Una vez que se ocupen los 15 lugares disponibles durante esta sesión, no se permitirá la entrada de otros participantes. Los participantes que asistan a la clase de diez sesiones recibirán un certificado. Para los participantes que están bajo una orden de la corte o con una condición de Servicios de Protección Infantil por favor de verificar por adelantado que la corte / CPS acepta este certificado.

Por favor, tenga en cuenta que esta clase es para adultos solamente. Hay otras clases ARK diseñadas para adolescentes y niños, sin embargo en NAM no se ofrecen esas clases. Para información sobre la clase de los adolescentes o las clases de los niños por favor, póngase en contacto con el Grupo ARK en al (281) 537-1301 o por correo electrónico a info@thearkgroup.org

·       Será el próximo período de sesiones

○      Feche de orientación:  17 de enero 2012

○      Feche: Todos Noche de Martes 24 de enero a 27 de marzo 2012

○      Tiempo: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

○      Clase:  Learning Center Room 439, 4 piso

Para la mayoría de nuestro folleto actual con respecto a nuestro seminario para padres por favor seleccione este enlace.