Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2007

BY CAUSEWELL VAUGHAN

In a city of bargains, a State University of New York program is offering the best deal of all with free programs that take interns from training to employment. The SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center (BEOC) is a place where people can go from dead end to dead on.

“We help our students overcome barriers,” said Dr. Lois Blades-Rosado, SUNY dean and CEO. The primary mission of the center is to ensure educational access to the academically and economically underserved. The center offers a wide range of classes focusing on academic programs, including GED test preparation, business and computer technology, and an employment program that targets those who need immediate assistance.

Offered at four different sites in Brooklyn, classes meet during the day and evening and on Saturday. There is also a support network of academic and career counseling including mock interviews in which instructors show students how to put their best foot forward.

Numbers speak to the center’s success. Since 2000, there have been up to 2,000 students enrolled annually. On average, 65% graduate within a 30-week school year, and up to 88% of the graduates find jobs or go on to colleges and universities.

Examples of the center’s success stories are Dr. Joseph Bowman Jr., a New York State regent and associate professor at SUNY Albany, and Shirley Edwards, principal at the High School for Public Service in Bushwick. Dr. Blades-Rosado attributes the phenomenal success rate to the people working with her.

“I feel very fortunate having this team,” Dr. Rosado said. “The staff is committed in every category, from the people who do clerical work to those who do maintenance. Everyone is pulling for our students.”

Two team members, Dannon Henry, enrollment manager and Phillip Cabrera, employment manager, said the center also helps students dress for success. While there is the well-known “Dress for Success” program for women, not many people are aware there is a similar program for men called “Career Gear.” Mr. Henry emphasized that there’s no cost for the center’s programs. “It’s all tuition-free,” he said. “We have courses ranging from English as a second language to college preparatory. And we even give students help with the admissions tests to City University colleges.”

The average age in the center’s career development program is 35, while students taking college preparatory courses are usually in their 20’s. But while the center is anxious to help students, not everyone can get in. “We want highly motivated students,” Mr. Henry said. “There’s a stringent admissions process and we want winners. We have performance standards we have to meet.”

For more information about SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center and its programs, call 718-802-3307 or visit the Web site at http://www.bklyn.eoc.cuny.edu/.