About the Joan H. Brack Charitable Foundation: Her legacy continues
The Joan H. Brack Foundation was founded in early 2000 shortly after she passed away in late 1999. The purpose of the Foundation is to support educational programs in a continuity of Joan's spirit and recognizing her work during a lifetime in elementary education and special education.
During the last 14 years the Foundation has supported the Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center at SMOC (South Middlesex Opportunity Council); the Jewish Family Service of Metrowest's after school program at the Wilson Elementary School in Framingham, and starting in 2009 their weekend food pantry; the Natick Visiting Nurse Association in recognition of the wonderful care she received at home in the last stages of life; the MetroWest Legal Services Children's Educational Advocacy Project; Hope Floats Healing & Wellness Center in Kingston, Ma; the Christopher Ladd Memorial Scholarship fund; the Michael Brack Memorial Scholarship recipients; Shared Beat and their work in a clinic in the Guatemala City dump; and with much gratitude to Dr. Ursula Matulonis and the staff at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for their compassionate care, the proceeds from the annual Joan H. Brack Memorial Golf Tournament.
Focus: Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center
The Foundation has supported the Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center at SMOC for 14 years. The center continues to address the need for adult education programing in the MetroWest area for students seeking a GED and also ESL students. In 2011 the Foundation increased its grant to $40,000 to encourage SMOC to seek grants from other nonprofits or foundations. Since then SMOC has received grants from the Middle Savings Bank, Sudbury Foundation, Eastern Bank, Mutual One Bank and others. A memorable day in late June of each year has been graduation day at SMOC. The ceremony begins with Pomp and Circumstances with the proud graduates marching in cap and gown. Many parents, children of the graduates, relatives and friends are present. This is followed by several speakers such as the chair of the Framingham School Committee, chair of the Framingham Board of Selectman, a state representative and a student speaker. Jim Cuddy, the CEO of SMOC, always has a few words to say to the graduates which start out with, “This is one of my favorite days of the year...“ This is followed by the diploma certificates being given to the graduates and then everyone adjourning for refreshments. It is a day that brings me down to my knees.
Since Joan started the program in 1994, it has grown beyond helping graduates obtain their GED certificates. The students come from many walks of life, some from the women’s state prison in Framingham, some from drug rehabilitation programs, some moving on from a homeless shelter. Beyond the teachers working with the 2002 GED programs in Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies, they operate as Joan did as “case managers” working with the students to help them solve child care problems, transportation issues, how to fill out job applications, resumes, how to face financial problems, and more.
In 2014 Massachusetts along with 10 other states chose HiSet as an assessment tool for high school equivalency assessment replacing the GED program. This new program is offered in both pencil–and--paper, and computer formats. In 2017 this program will be replaced by a fully computer based program to the college and career readiness standards for adult education. Clearly the staff faces many challenges over the next three years in this transition which when you realize the language challenges raises questions as to what the next safety net is going to look like.
In 2014 there were 22 graduates, a high point for the learning center! That compares with 18 graduates in 2011, 12 graduates in 2012, and 15 graduates in 2013, most of whom move on to higher paying jobs or further education.
-- Robert Brack
During the last 14 years the Foundation has supported the Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center at SMOC (South Middlesex Opportunity Council); the Jewish Family Service of Metrowest's after school program at the Wilson Elementary School in Framingham, and starting in 2009 their weekend food pantry; the Natick Visiting Nurse Association in recognition of the wonderful care she received at home in the last stages of life; the MetroWest Legal Services Children's Educational Advocacy Project; Hope Floats Healing & Wellness Center in Kingston, Ma; the Christopher Ladd Memorial Scholarship fund; the Michael Brack Memorial Scholarship recipients; Shared Beat and their work in a clinic in the Guatemala City dump; and with much gratitude to Dr. Ursula Matulonis and the staff at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for their compassionate care, the proceeds from the annual Joan H. Brack Memorial Golf Tournament.
Focus: Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center
The Foundation has supported the Joan H. Brack Adult Learning Center at SMOC for 14 years. The center continues to address the need for adult education programing in the MetroWest area for students seeking a GED and also ESL students. In 2011 the Foundation increased its grant to $40,000 to encourage SMOC to seek grants from other nonprofits or foundations. Since then SMOC has received grants from the Middle Savings Bank, Sudbury Foundation, Eastern Bank, Mutual One Bank and others. A memorable day in late June of each year has been graduation day at SMOC. The ceremony begins with Pomp and Circumstances with the proud graduates marching in cap and gown. Many parents, children of the graduates, relatives and friends are present. This is followed by several speakers such as the chair of the Framingham School Committee, chair of the Framingham Board of Selectman, a state representative and a student speaker. Jim Cuddy, the CEO of SMOC, always has a few words to say to the graduates which start out with, “This is one of my favorite days of the year...“ This is followed by the diploma certificates being given to the graduates and then everyone adjourning for refreshments. It is a day that brings me down to my knees.
Since Joan started the program in 1994, it has grown beyond helping graduates obtain their GED certificates. The students come from many walks of life, some from the women’s state prison in Framingham, some from drug rehabilitation programs, some moving on from a homeless shelter. Beyond the teachers working with the 2002 GED programs in Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies, they operate as Joan did as “case managers” working with the students to help them solve child care problems, transportation issues, how to fill out job applications, resumes, how to face financial problems, and more.
In 2014 Massachusetts along with 10 other states chose HiSet as an assessment tool for high school equivalency assessment replacing the GED program. This new program is offered in both pencil–and--paper, and computer formats. In 2017 this program will be replaced by a fully computer based program to the college and career readiness standards for adult education. Clearly the staff faces many challenges over the next three years in this transition which when you realize the language challenges raises questions as to what the next safety net is going to look like.
In 2014 there were 22 graduates, a high point for the learning center! That compares with 18 graduates in 2011, 12 graduates in 2012, and 15 graduates in 2013, most of whom move on to higher paying jobs or further education.
-- Robert Brack
The Joan H. Brack Charitable Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 742
Milford, MA 01757
Robert Brack, Concord, Ma. (508) 735-6394
Ken Brack, Plympton, Ma. (Webmaster) 781-585-3868
