Mercy Education Resource Center
An estimated 15 to 20% of American children suffer from learning disabilities, disabilities that hamper their progress in school and jeopardize their ability to grow into happy, productive adults. Testing, counseling and tutoring are critical to helping learningdisabled children succeed, yet these services are time-consuming and expensive, out of the reach of many families.
Mercy Education Resource Center
, a sponsored ministry of the works of the Sisters of Mercy, fills a vital gap in the Sacramento area community by providing such children and their families with the specialized services they require, regardless of ability to pay. During the 2005-2006 school year, 72 public and private schools throughout the region either referred parents to Mercy Education for individualized services or requested on-site counseling and tutoring. In addition to these services, Mercy Education also offers a six-week intensive Summer School program to students facing severe learning challenges.
Individuals served by Mercy Education come from culturally diverse backgrounds, disenfranchised neighborhoods and varied family structures. According to research by Harvard University, California’s overall high school graduation rate in 2005 was approximately 71 percent. The graduation rates for African-American and Latino students were even lower, 60 percent for Latino students and 56.6 percent for African-Americans. In addition, when projecting the need for new prisons in the future, officials base their projections on the reading scores of third graders. Low assessment scores potentially lead to high drop out rates and a higher probability for incarceration in the child’s future. Making it possible for more children to get the help they need before the worst happens – students dropping out of school and leading less than upstanding lives – is what Mercy Education and the Kids First Scholarship program is all about.
Beyond academic goals are underlying human goals: to help each student develop the self-esteem and confidence necessary to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. The Mercy Education staff engages both parents and teachers in the child’s remedial program so every child experiences support and encouragement both at home and at school.
Demand for the Center’s services is growing as rapidly as the Sacramento region itself. Already, new participants wait an average of two months for services, while the Summer School program turns away some 10 to 20 children each year for lack of space. Families and participating schools cover only half of the overall costs of services.
Because the Mercy Education Resource Center relies on generous contributions, you can make it possible for children, who could not otherwise afford these valuable services, to have a brighter future with the tools they need to succeed.
For more information about Mercy Education Resource Center, please contact Kevin Duggan at (916) 851-2703.
