Reception to say thanks, bye
Published 6:00 am Thursday, June 14, 2018
- Andre Perez, director of Primary Partnerships and Special Programs for SLCC, discusses future plans for adult education students with former PEPI executive director Sister Barbara Kraus.
It was an evening of mixed emotions for the faculty and board members of the Progressive Education Program Inc, of New Iberia, otherwise known as PEPI.
A reception Wednesday night for those affiliated with the program at South Louisiana Community College’s campus highlighted and celebrated its years of dedicated service to the community and served as an official farewell to the program.
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“I tell you it’s wonderful to see all these wonderful people here to say goodbye to PEPI to celebrate what we’ve done over the years,” Sister Barbara Kraus, PEPI’s executive director said.
The organization’s humble roots started with the Southern Mutual Help Association in 1970 with a mission to raise the education level of sugar cane field workers. The program expanded to St. Mary and St. Martin parishes to help undereducated persons and those who had limited reading skills.
The program was taken over in 1979 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, who taught on porches under trees and wherever there was opportunity despite triggering anger in many plantation owners.
Even in current times the empathy involved in meeting people where they are is something the PEPI staff under the leadership of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who took over the program in 1993, said they strived for in helping area Adult Ed students succeed.
“This experience was much more maternal than other school settings. We learned their stories, we cheered when they succeeded,” Linda Landry, a math teacher at PEPI, said.
“We feel like members of their family and I feel so privileged to be apart of helping these students.”
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Landry’s sentiments were shared by the entire staff.
“I’m hurt and happy because I was here 12 years and I love it and I never thought it would come to an end,” Edith Orphry PEPI secretary, said.
Orphry has worked with Kraus for 12 of her 16 years with the program and praised her service.
“She went 100 percent above the call of duty,” Orphry said. “She helped encouraged them, sit with them through trials and tribulations, she wasn’t just a director. She was a mother, a friend, a nun. Some of the students called her a homegirl,”
Kraus’s staff said they shared her passion.
“They say Ms. Shelby thank you for pushing us, thank you for being concerned,” Shelby Fondal, a reading teacher for PEPI, said. “I’ve gone to their house. I’ve called them. I just don’t want them to give up. I’m going to go on to SLCC and continue,” she said.
Students who have been studying for their HiSet exam with PEPI will be allowed to continue under the new SLCC administration.
“It’s a sad day to see PEPI close but at the same time were very happy that SLCC is able to keep it up and continue with adult education in this area because it’s such a good work,” Ryan Huval, PEPI board president, said.
And big plans are underway by the new administration, which include increasing staff to include more paraeducators to help with progress monitoring, testing and tutoring, making improvements to the facility, integrating more technology by encouraging computer based testing and online learning, as well as providing opportunities for students who are studying English as a second language help in obtaining classes towards citizenship.
“Work Ready U Adult Education at SLCC will offer quality services to the students and community in Iberia Parish,” Karen Raggio, interim director of Work Ready U Adult Education at SLCC, said. “Students working towards a high school equivalency diploma or working to improve their English language acquisition skills can take advantage of scholarship opportunities and the workforce services and training at SLCC,” Raggio said.
SLCC administrators said they are aware of the impact PEPI has had on the community.
“First of all, we know that PEPI has done an outstanding job of serving the community in the area of adult education,” Andre Perez, director of Primary Partnerships and Special Programs for SLCC, said. “As a result, we definitely want to be able to continue their legacy. It’s important to the community and the persons they serve,”
Perez said with the new change will come a push to get students to their next level in higher learning.
“We want them to be not only a HiSet program student but a college student,” he said. “We are going to have this new program to encourage them to continue to get into a technical program or obtain an associate’s degree, but the biggest thing is to get them to grow in learning.”