Local Reverend Sets Example for Adult Learners

Most discussions about education typically focus on K-12, but Reverend David Hendricks of Windsor, along with local organizations, VOCAL and CREC, is working to bring more focus to an often overlooked education topic. Rev. Hendricks hopes to shine more light on the benefits – and challenges and struggles – of adult education in Connecticut.

Rev. Hendricks is currently an adult student himself. Having been raised in a family that valued religion, he developed a love and a natural passion for preaching. However, his desire to become an ordained preacher, which meant he would need to obtain a license from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, hit a roadblock: he was illiterate.

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy more than 20% of adults read at or below a fifth grade level- far below the level needed to earn a living wage. CREC and VOCAL are committed to providing programs that help adults in Connecticut become literate and gain the depth and breadth of skills they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens.

At the age of 47, Rev. Hendricks was terrified about going back to school. He knew it would be one of the biggest challenges of his life. With the encouragement of his pastor Dr. Alvin N. Johnson Jr. and his congregation, Rev. Hendricks began as a student with Literacy Volunteers where it was quickly determined that he needed more intensive assistance. He then enrolled with YMCA’s Read to Succeed program, and was a student there for four years. Upon receiving the certificate of completion, he joined another adult literacy program offered by the Center for Urban Research, Education, and Training (CURET) for four years.

Articulation and pronunciation, particularly of words in the Bible, were Rev. Hendricks’s greatest challenge. He was intimidated by the stigma of being an adult who could not read. “I felt very uncomfortable and nervous about how others might think of me,” recounted Rev. Hendricks, “but I pressed on to make it through, to accomplish this goal. Learning to read was a deep want that I had.” 

It has been a long journey, but Rev. Hendricks accomplished much along the way. He became an ordained minister in 2009, and will begin classes towards an associate degree at Capital Community College this Fall.

While at Read to Succeed, Rev. Hendricks joined a local organization, Voices of Connecticut Adult Learners (VOCAL). VOCAL was established in 2009 to advocate for the rights of adult students and for the importance of adults to be educated. Rev. Hendricks’ passion for and commitment to adult education was clear to his colleagues, and he soon became co-chair of VOCAL. He now serves as a liaison to the community, namely, introducing the VOCAL program to adult literacy students in Greater Hartford and encouraging them to join as members to have their voices heard. VOCAL is gradually building a name for itself, and with the support of CREC, is on track to becoming incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Through VOCAL, Rev. Hendricks is an active participant with the national advocacy group Voices for Adult Literacy United for Education (VALUE), and he was most recently elected to its executive board. He hopes that, with the partnership of CREC, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Capital Region Adult Literacy Partnership, he can bring the 2015 National Adult Learner Leadership Institute to Hartford, Connecticut. This national conference is an opportunity to bring together leaders in the field, adult learners who want to become leaders, adult literacy practitioners, and national, state, and local policy-makers to discuss key challenges and developments in adult literacy, share promising practices, develop personal networks for support, and innovation, and celebrate achievements. The biennial conference was last held in May in Washington D.C.

The goal of CREC’s adult education programs are to impact communities through outreach, training, and support for families and staff that result in learning success, stronger families, career development and job acquisition. For more information about the programs offered through CREC and VOCAL, visit www.crec.org