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| EDUCATION |
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| "You
must do the thing you think you cannot do." Education is essential for single moms who want to get themselves and their child(ren) out of poverty. Although having a good education does not guarantee you a high paying career, it does make your chances of getting out of poverty much better than having no education at all. Having a good education also makes you proud of yourself and more critical of the system that treats us all as “things.” You won’t have to rely on a man or ‘welfare’ to support you once you have enough training or education to get a decent paying job. Marriage will become a choice, not a survival tactic! If you are on ‘welfare’ in Nova Scotia, you can go back to school and get your GED (General Equivalency Diploma), get vocational training, or upgrade your skills. You can also go to college and still receive assistance, but only education programs of two years or less will be allowed. If you want to go to university, you can no longer receive assistance. You will have to rely solely on a student loan. Before with Family Benefits you had to get a student loan for tuition, books, etc…but you could still receive your living allowance. There is an exception for those of you who were on Family Benefits before May 2000. You are still allowed to complete the schooling you are presently enrolled in and receive your living allowance. Go to school anyway. You may have to take out a student loan or borrow the money from someone, but just go! Education is the key! If you need a student loan, contact: Nova
Scotia Student Aid Office If you are looking to finish high school or to obtain your GED try your local library. They have information to get you started and names of tutoring groups that are for women only. An example of one group is through the Elizabeth Fry Society. If you are a young single mother between the ages of 16-24 and live in the Halifax area, you can drop in to the Phoenix Centre for Youth and be a part of their Parent Support Program. You will fit in a few forms but you don’t have to be involved with a caseworker if you don’t want to. They have educational/recreational group sessions for young parents. Childcare is provided for children age three months and up, while you participate in sessions about anything from discipline to how to apply for subsidized daycare. They’ve also been creating scrapbooks and teaching Mother Goose nursery rhymes you can share with your children. On Wednesdays they provide a timeout where they have free childcare for you while you run errands or attend appointments. There is also one on one counseling available as well as outreach. Outreach can mean that if you need someone there for support during an appointment, someone will come with you. There is also a nurse on staff available for prenatal care. The number at the centre is 420-0676. But they place emphasis on being a drop in centre so you’re welcome to stop by anytime. Their address is 6035 Coburg Road, Halifax B3H 1Y8. Don’t let anyone, even yourself, talk you out of getting an education of any kind. For years I thought I wasn’t smart. I barely made it through high school. I was told on several occasions that I wouldn’t get anywhere with “that attitude.” I felt that getting an education was only for people with money and connections. (It is, but people like us can find a way to get our education through this inspiration and efforts of others.) I told myself that I couldn’t possibly go to university because the daycare bills would be too high, the student aid office probably wouldn’t help me, how could I study when I had a small child to care for, etc. Then I met a single mom on ‘welfare’ who had SIX kids and was in her second year of university. She told me how to get a student loan, how to apply as a mature student, and how to handle studying while raising a small child. I met her at 11:00 a.m. By 3:00 p.m. I was at the university registrar’s office. Sometimes the community can step in and help when it is needed. Venus Envy, a very woman friendly and queer-positive store in Halifax began its own Venus Envy Bursary in the winter of 2000. If you are accepted into any program in Nova Scotia which issues a degree, certificate or diploma, you can apply for the bursary. They base their decision on need and any work you do in the women’s community. Their aim is to give $1000 each to two women for their next bursary awards. There is a simple form you have to fill out. Contact Shelley Taylor for more information: 422-0004 or Halifax(at)venusenvy(dot)ca. Always ask about scholarships and bursaries available at schools too. There are many that are created specifically for people who do not have the money to go to school on their own. I’ve met so many women at university who are absolutely inspirational. Many of them are single mothers and many are women in their fifties and sixties. I met a single mom who has multiple sclerosis and is graduating soon. Another woman who was functionally illiterate ten years ago graduated with me last year. Yet another overcame an abusive childhood and drug addiction problems to receive her honours degree this year. I could go on and on with this list! So don’t ever tell yourself that you can’t do it. Women everywhere are achieving their educational goals. I shake my head in disbelief some days when I stop to think about how far I’ve come with my education. If you want to improve your education, don’t let anyone stop you or tell you that you can’t do it. Education is one of the major keys to breaking free of our poverty. Education, in its many forms, can be a major way to figure out how to end poverty for everyone! |
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