Educational services are available to Open House Ministries’ residents and to their children. At Open House Ministries, we are fortunate to have community partners who make this part of our program possible.
Success in school
Statistics show that, on average, children lose three to six months of education each time they are uprooted and transferred to a new school district. Vancouver Public Schools is a long-standing collaborative partner of Open House Ministries and helps us minimize disruption for children at Open House. The school district provides transportation to and from school and tutoring for school-age children in the shelter. Children living here receive the assistance they need to catch up and stay current with their peers, while parents learn essential parenting skills to support children in their schooling and life. Open House also provides an on-site after-school program.
Nutrition and food basics for families
Residents learn basic nutrition, practical culinary skills and safe food handling at Open House. Students also receive instruction to help them obtain food-handlers certifications for employment in food-related jobs.
Educational enrichment for adults
A core component of every adult resident’s case management action plan is education. Throughout the week, residents are required to attend classes, based on their unique family situation and needs to prepare them for self-sufficiency. Programs include but are not limited to:
- GED preparation courses through a cooperative program with Clark College
- GED tutoring
- Financial management classes
- Life-skills classes
- Relationship-management classes
- Work-skills education
