The Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport was recently highlighted by Project ACTIVATE, a podcast produced by Sacred Heart University that focuses on local community engagement and service projects.
Host Gregory Golda sat down with Kiko Teed, Director of Adult Education at Mercy, to discuss how the Center has become a lifeline for hundreds of women in the Greater Bridgeport area.
Founded in 1987 by two educators, Mercy has helped women achieve personal and professional goals while supporting their families for nearly 40 years.
“Oftentimes they come in and they say, ‘I’m doing this for my kids,’” Teed, who joined the center in 2012, told Golda. “And then after a little while, they say, ‘I’m going to stay for me, and I’m going to get that high school diploma.’”
The Mercy Learning Center offers a range of programs to meet the needs of adult learners. In addition to a High School Equivalency Program, the Center’s largest and longest-running offering is the Literacy and Life Skills Program, which includes English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, basic literacy and computer skills.
During the 2023-24 school year, Mercy helped 22 women earn a high school diploma and assisted 47 women in securing new jobs.
For mothers of young children, Mercy operates a licensed, on-site childcare program. The program currently serves more than 80 children, allowing mothers to attend classes without the added burden of finding child care.
“We have over 80 children in our building, learning at the same time that their moms are learning,” said Teed.
Child care is one of many support services Mercy provides in addition to education. On its 25,000-square-foot campus, Mercy students — 75% of whom live below the poverty line — have access a food and diaper pantry, legal and medical referrals, career counseling and citizenship assistance.
“We have a diaper pantry and we have a food pantry,” Teed said. “If we can offset those expenses a little bit so that mom can stay in class, it’s well worth it.”
At Mercy, students enrolled in the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) earn a high school diploma by creating an online portfolio of work, rather than by attending traditional classes or taking final exams.
“The average student takes about six to eight months to complete the program,” Ted said. “And pretty much every one of our students that has gotten into the program has finished.”
The center employs 17 certified teachers, but relies heavily on volunteer tutors.
“Tutors donate four hours a week — two hours on one day and two hours another day,” Teed said. “And for a lot of our volunteers, this is a great thing for them to do. They come in, they love it, they get so much out of it.”
For community members looking to support the center, tutoring goes a long way. Mercy provides detailed training to all of its tutors.
Additional ways to support their mission include donating to food and diaper drives or purchasing items through Mercy’s online wish list. The Mercy Learning Center is currently seeking donations for its Holiday Toy Drive.
