It is time to spotlight one of our fantastic partners! Amanda Hibbard is the Literacy Program Coordinator and High School Equivalency (HSE) Educator. In this role at Gerard Place, Amanda wears many hats. She works with students and individuals who are pursuing their high school equivalency diplomas as well as those who are English Language Learners.

Gerard Place’s mission is to provide safety and skill building for homeless single parent families seeking permanent housing and family wellness. To date, over 250 families have received these needed services. Programs and services provided by Gerard Place Community Education include Test Assessing Secondary Completion, or TASC (formerly GED), literacy, computer classes, job readiness training, health and nutrition classes and more.

With Amanda at the helm, the programs she manages have excelled. The number of students in programming have increased, with a waiting list for future students! Amanda says that her favorite part of the job is helping people. “I was a classroom teacher in a private school for 10 years and loved it but wanted to do more. I knew I would only leave my job if I could make a difference and I believe Gerard Place was a great decision for growth. Being able to teach and help people everyday feels like the best of both worlds for me.”

“Amanda is bright, knowledgeable and energetic” Says Karen Kasperek, Senior Director of Services. “She has a huge impact on our HSE/ESL programming and is proven to be a valuable person to our agency.” Thank you, Amanda for your hard work and commitment to helping students achieve their goals!