BEGIN ANEW

BEGIN ANEW (FORMERLY CHRISTIAN WOMEN'S JOB CORPS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE) WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1997 AND BECAME A 501(C)(3) IN 2003. THE ORGANIZATION REBRANDED AS BEGIN ANEW IN 2016 AND LEGALLY CHANGED ITS NAME TO BEGIN ANEW IN 2024. BEGIN ANEW SERVES THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE AREA THROUGH THREE PHYSICAL LOCATIONS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY (NASHVILLE, MADISON, AND WOODBINE), ONE PHYSICAL LOCATION IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY (FRANKLIN), AND AN ONLINE CAMPUS THAT SERVES DAVIDSON, WILLIAMSON, AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES. THE ADULT STUDENTS WE SERVE ARE 18 YEARS OR OLDER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MINORS WITH PARENTAL AND SCHOOL BOARD CONSENT. ENROLLMENT IN OUR SERVICES IS OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS OF ALL FAITHS AND CULTURES AND IS PROVIDED AT NO COST. BEGIN ANEW UTILIZES DATA TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOALS AND OUTCOMES. WE UTILIZE SALESFORCE TO TRACK A STUDENT'S PROGRESS, MANAGE CAMPUS ENROLLMENT, AND ASSESS VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT. TABE AND THE WONDERLIC GAIN ASSESSMENT TEST ESTABLISH THE STUDENT'S BASELINE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL. STUDENT PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES ARE MEASURED BY PROGRESSION IN APPLICABLE EDUCATIONAL TRACKS. WE OFFER THREE CURRICULUM TRACKS FOR ADULT STUDENTS: HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY (HSE) TEST PREPARATION, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING (ELL WITH THREE LEVELS: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, AND ADVANCED), AND COMPUTER AND JOB SKILLS. HSE PREPARATORY TRAINING PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING OR SMALL CLASSES IN FIVE SUBJECTS TO HELP STUDENTS PREPARE FOR THE HISET (HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY TEST): READING, WRITING, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. BEGIN ANEW GUIDES STUDENTS THROUGH THE TESTING PROCESS. PRACTICE TESTS ARE AVAILABLE IN EACH OF THE FIVE SUBJECTS TO HELP DETERMINE A STUDENT'S PREPAREDNESS FOR THE OFFICIAL TESTS ADMINISTERED NATIONALLY BY PSI (PSI SERVICES LLC). ON AVERAGE, IT TAKES A STUDENT 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE HSE. ELL CLASSES OFFER THREE LEVELS OF TRAINING TO ADULT STUDENTS: LEVEL 1 - BASIC (FOCUSES ON FOUNDATIONAL VOCABULARY AND BASIC GRAMMAR WITH READING, WRITING, AND LISTENING IN MIND), LEVEL 2 - INTERMEDIATE (BUILDS ON VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR WITH ADDITIONAL VERB TENSES, INTRODUCES ADVERBS, AND TEACHES LONGER SENTENCE STRUCTURES IN ORDER TO ADVANCE A STUDENT'S COMMUNICATION AND LIFE SKILLS), AND LEVEL 3 - ADVANCED (PREPARES A STUDENT FOR WORKPLACE VOCABULARY BY LEARNING PHRASES, SAYINGS, AND CONCEPTS). STUDENTS ARE INSTRUCTED ON BASIC LIFE APPLICATIONS, SUCH AS HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN THE WORKPLACE, CALL 911, TALK WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, PLACE AN ORDER, AND MORE. ON AVERAGE, AN ELL STUDENT PROGRESSES THROUGH ELL LEVEL 1 IN 12 MONTHS, ELL LEVEL 2 IN 12 MONTHS, AND ELL LEVEL 3 IN 18 MONTHS. COMPUTER AND JOB SKILLS CLASSES PROVIDE INSTRUCTION ON BASIC COMPUTER PROGRAMS SUCH AS MICROSOFT OFFICE OR GOOGLE SUITE. CLASSES ALSO OFFER LIFE SKILLS INSTRUCTION, WHICH INCLUDES RESUME WRITING, INTERVIEWING SKILLS, AND GOAL SETTING. THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROGRAM TYPICALLY TAKES APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS. A PROGRAM MANAGER OVERSEES THE VOLUNTEERS AND STUDENTS AT EACH CAMPUS BY PROVIDING OVERSIGHT, TRAINING, AND DIRECTION. EACH CAMPUS HOLDS CLASSES FOR TWO HOURS ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY EVENINGS FROM 6:00-8:00 P.M., EXCEPT FRANKLIN, WHICH MEETS ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY EVENINGS FROM 6:00-8:00 P.M. ADDITIONALLY, FRANKLIN OFFERS A DAYTIME CLASS ON THURSDAY FROM 9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 P.M. THE ONLINE CAMPUS OFFERS A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE. ALL STUDENTS, WHETHER IN-PERSON CLASSES OR ONLINE, ARE PAIRED WITH VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE AS TEACHERS, TUTORS, AND MENTORS. IN ADDITION TO OUR ADULT EDUCATION TRACKS, WE OFFER FREE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING WHILE STUDENTS ATTEND CLASSES, PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A VOLUNTEER MENTOR/ENCOURAGER, MAKE REFERRALS TO MEET STUDENT NEEDS, AND CONTINUALLY SEEK TO CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY THAT CARES FOR ONE ANOTHER. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024: IN JULY 2024, BEGIN ANEW TRANSITIONED ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSES LEVEL 2 (INTERMEDIATE) AND LEVEL 3 (ADVANCED) FROM A PAPER CURRICULUM TO BURLINGTON ENGLISH, A DIGITAL PLATFORM. THIS GIVES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW MATERIAL AFTER CLASS, AND THEY CAN ALSO DO ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK AS THEIR TIME ALLOWS. THE LONG-TERM BENEFIT IS THAT ADULT STUDENTS CAN PROGRESS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM AT A QUICKER PACE. THE FRANKLIN CAMPUS WAS A TEST PILOT FOR TRANSITIONING ELL LEVEL 1 (BASIC) FROM PAPER TO DIGITAL FORMAT. THIS PROVED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION, SO ALL ELL1 CLASSES HAVE TRANSITIONED TO UTILIZING THE DIGITAL CURRICULUM. BURLINGTON ENGLISH ALSO HELPS TEACHERS AND TUTORS WITH ENGAGING LESSON PLANNING. HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY STUDENTS CONTINUE TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH VOLUNTEERS OR MEET IN A SMALL CLASSROOM SETTING. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PARTNERING WITH WORKFORCE ESSENTIALS FOR ACCESS AND TRAINING SO WE CAN OFFER THE TABE EXAMS TO OUR ADULT STUDENTS. THIS NEWER OPTION OFFERED BY THE STATE ALLOWS SOME STUDENTS TO FAST-TRACK TO GRADUATION. WORKFORCE ESSENTIALS ALSO PROVIDES TRAINING EVENTS FOR LEADERSHIP, IN WHICH WE WILL PARTICIPATE. BEGIN ANEW CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN QUALITY PROGRAMMING AT REDUCED COSTS THROUGH UTILIZING TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND IN-KIND DONATIONS. IN 2024, 200+ VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED OVER 5,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS (A VALUE OF OVER 168,000 ACCORDING TO THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR) AS TUTORS, TEACHERS, CHILDREN'S PROGRAM PROVIDERS, MENTORS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND MORE AREA CHURCHES AND LOFTIS STEEL AND ALUMINUM DONATED SPACE FOR ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES VALUED AT 81,931 IN-KIND RENT DONATIONS. IN TOTAL, BEGIN ANEW RECEIVED 126,605 IN-KIND DONATIONS. THROUGHOUT 2024, BEGIN ANEW SERVED 427 STUDENTS AND 88 CHILDREN. 41 STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: 16 HSE, 6 ELL LEVEL 1, 4 ELL LEVEL 2, 4 ELL LEVEL 3 AND 11 COMPUTER AND JOB SKILLS, WITH 70% OF ENROLLED STUDENTS CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS OR GRADUATING. OVERALL, THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT REPRESENTED 41 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN. BEGIN ANEW'S TRANSFORMATIVE SERVICES HAVE BEEN A BEACON OF HOPE FOR ADULT STUDENTS, AGES 18 AND OLDER. BY PROVIDING FREE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, WE EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIVES, THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY. OUR PROGRAM ALLOWS ADULT STUDENTS TO WORK TOWARD EARNING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY, IMPROVING THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS, AND/OR ENHANCING THEIR COMPUTER AND JOB SKILLS. WE SERVE INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN GENERATIONAL OR SITUATIONAL POVERTY, IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND OTHERS WHO MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED OBSTACLES PREVENTING THEM FROM GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM OUR PROGRAM, THEY OFTEN SHARE STORIES OF RECEIVING A PROMOTION, SECURING A BETTER CAREER OPPORTUNITY, ENROLLING IN TRADE SCHOOL OR COLLEGE, OR STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. OUR STAFF IS DEDICATED TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH STUDENTS AND CONNECTING THEM TO A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE COLLABORATE WITH MANY NON-PROFITS AS COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO PROVIDED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF OUR EXPERTISE: CATHOLIC CHARITIES, COLUMBIA STATE, GOODWILL, GRACEWORKS, INTERFAITH DENTAL, KING'S DAUGHTER'S CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF MIDDLE TN, MADISON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (WOMEN IN BUSINESS), MADISON CHURCH OF CHRIST COUNSELING CENTER, MERCY COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES, NASHVILLE FIRST BAPTIST CLOTHING CLOSET, THE NASHVILLE FOOD PROJECT, UNITED WAY HOTLINE 211, UNITED WAY OF GREATER NASHVILLE, AND MANY MORE. WE ALSO COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL CHURCHES, HANDS ON NASHVILLE, AND AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE VOLUNTEER BASE. .