Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Edwards.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Come Read with Me is a life-long learning center for amazing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization strives to support the participants’ long-term cognitive strength through life-long learning.
The program was started by Martha Kate Downey. Martha Kate Downey is an author, speaker, and educator who has a degree in Social Work, Texas Tech University 1973 and worked as a caseworker for Tarrant County Child Protective Services (State of Texas).
Martha Kate has been very involved in the learning disability community especially since she has raised a daughter with special needs. She has been very supportive and volunteered much of her time to further the educational needs of people with learning disabilities. Martha Kate started Come Read with Me in the late 1990s with three mission or goals in mind:
(1) To encourage life-long learning and thus help adults with developmental delays maintain and increase cognitive function throughout their lifetime (2) to collect valuable, tangible data regarding the levels of cognitive function of so to effect legislation for the long-term care of adults with special needs. Study being designed and implemented in conjunction with Texas Tech University and Texas Women’s University, (3) To encourage other organizations to build educational programing into their projects and missions.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has not been a smooth one. This has been due to lack of funding for young adults who have finished high school. Many students and their guardians have found that they cannot afford the program due to poor funding from the state. The funding streams for young adults is very complex. Fortunately, much has been done in schools to help parents through the maze of funding streams offered here in Texas. However, many of our students who come through our doors have already left high school. They are looking for something more than just a Day Habilitation Center or a place to just hang out with friends. Many of our students are looking for a place where they can develop or learn skills that will allow them to be more independent; be that through learning how to read, do functional math or learn how to use a computer. Unfortunately, many of these ‘older students’ do not have the funding streams in place or find that their funding is cut during the program at Come Read with Me.
Come Read with Me is currently looking for donors to help with its learning/tuition program. The program is designed to help students with no funding or who cannot afford the fees, and also help with development of the curriculum.
Another struggle experienced earlier on in the development of the Come Read with Me program was finding a suitable place to meet. As Martha Kate Downey offered her services to more students it became apparent that that the local church hall or library was not going to accommodate the needs of her growing students. Fortunately, Matthew Speight of Sandlin Homes offered Martha Kate a space at his office complex in Euless.
Since then Come Read with Me has grown from strength to strength in terms of the number of students requiring our services.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Come Read with Me is a life-long learning center for amazing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization strives to support the participants’ long-term cognitive strength through life-long learning. Our mission:
To promote long-term cognitive and physical functionality for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities through a life-long learning center which emphasizes the most recent research and practices.
We will:
(1) Provide life-long learning opportunities and thus help adults with intellectual or developmental delays maintain and increase cognitive functionality throughout their lifetime. We will execute this mission through class instruction, private tutoring, in math & reading, social skills, kitchen skills, arts & crafts, music, computers, as well as dance & movement.
2) Collect valuable, tangible data regarding the levels of cognitive function to share with those responsible for providing long-term care of adults with special needs. We are seeking grants for long-term research as well as working in conjunction with diagnosticians and professors. As a nonprofit organization, we may not lobby, but our documentation stressing the effectiveness of education over custodial care may be used to provide needed data to lawmakers.
3) Encourage other organizations to build adult educational programming into their projects and missions. The Come Read with Me approach is unlike that of most other programs for adults with disabilities. We truly believe that this population of folks can learn and are working to encourage other organizations to become more progressive and raise their expectations for those they serve. Through the years we have served as a mentor to other organizations and independent school districts working to improve their programming for transitioning students as they leave the public school setting and begin adult living.
What sets us apart from others: Our curriculum is very much student led. Unlike other centers for adults with special needs, we have a variety of courses to choose from all taught by staff with teaching experience. Come Read with Me is a cooperative effort where…
“All teachers are students AND all students are teachers!”
Students and teachers alike enjoy learning together. Our classrooms are alive with opportunities for growth and renewal of interests and skills.
What were you like growing up?
I moved to Dallas, Texas from London, England 7 years ago. I read Chemistry with Management Studies at Sussex University and proceeded to work as a manager and staff trainer of a residential unit for clients with learning disabilities. Passionate about advocating for service users with learning disabilities, I gained a teaching certificate to help promote better educational courses for adults with learning disabilities. I had the privilege of serving on various focus groups in Croydon and East London and helped shape the curriculum on offer to adults with learning disabilities wanting further education after finishing High School (secondary school in the UK). For the last 7 years, I have been working for Come Read with Me, a lifelong learning center for adults with special needs, based in Euless, Texas. In my free time, I love supporting my two sons in their sports activities. I love to knit, cook and travel.
Pricing:
- Our rates are $12 per hour (a minimum of 2 hours per week for enrollment).
- Lunch is $7
- Registration fees per sememster: $20 per month Plus $47 for technology fee
Contact Info:
- Address: 901 Clinic Drive, Suite D-109;
Euless, Texas 76039 - Website: www.comereadwithme.us
- Phone: 817-553-7323
- Email: info@ComeReadwithMe.us
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRWMTX
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/comereadwithme_
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
