Education

Welcome to A Safe Haven’s Education and Training Academy

Creating or Adding to Your Success Story Begins Here

We’re so glad you’re exploring career training at A Safe Haven Foundation as the place to start a new chapter in your life. We hope you will find A Safe Haven’s Job Training program has much to offer, in addition to its workforce development initiatives.

Everyone wants a career they love. Regardless if you’re a recent high school graduate, seasoned workforce professional looking to make a career change, member of the military or a parent, a career where you can be successful is something we all aspire to have, or in need of safe Affordable Housing or Behavioral Health Counseling, A Safe Haven understands this – and that’s why we’ve been the place to come for Career Training.

ASH was founded in 1994 and has been licensed by the State of Illinois to provide substance abuse treatment services since 2001. For over 25 years ASH has been committed to helping people transform their lives from one of alcoholism, addiction and crime to self-sufficiency in sobriety with gainful, living wage employment and affordable housing. In a safe and supportive treatment environment, clients are able to identify and address the root causes of criminal thinking and behavior. ASH seeks to stabilize individuals, unite families, strengthen neighborhoods, and create vibrant, viable communities.

Our Continuum of Care program allows youth, young adults and adult men and women to earn a High School Diploma, Certification in Culinary Arts and Welding faster so you can enter the workforce sooner.

There’s no better time to pursue the career training you’ve always wanted, and our Workforce Development Employment Specialists are prepared to help you during the enrollment process and can walk you step-by-step through the necessary requirements needed to become an A Safe Haven Alumni.

Thank you!

A Safe Haven’s Academy Programs & Services

The ASHF’s Education Department’s mission is to develop and sustain a career pathway system that empowers our students to become economically self-sufficient and secure. As the Strategic Plan for Adult Education and the FY22 NOFO requirements outline, ASHF is committed to “guiding a career pathways framework for the movement of adult learners into post-secondary education and training programs and employment.”

Orientation & Assessments is where you will discover all the programs and services we offer at A Safe Haven related to Education, Training, and Job Placement. During this time, you will hear the eligibility criteria, expectations, and expected outcomes for each training program. Here is where you will also have the opportunity to select your Bridge/IET training sector: Culinary, Custodial Engineering, Security, or Welding. You will be required to complete the TABE assessment as one must obtain a 6th-grade reading and math score to enroll in one of our Bridge/IET programs.

Orientation is held every Monday at 2750 W. Roosevelt Rd. Chicago, IL 60608 at 9 am. Assessments follow immediately after the orientation. Be prepared to return the next day to complete your assessments. Once you complete your TABE assessment, we will notify you of your scores, usually by the next two business days.

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A Safe Haven’s AEL program helps eligible students develop their literacy, reading comprehension, math, language arts, and writing skills. We aim to help every student hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve their personal and career goals. Our AEL courses also prepare interested students to earn their High School Equivalency (e.g., GED). A Safe Haven’s AEL classes are taught by compassionate educators or instructors trained in evidence-based teaching and learning practices. They endeavor to help every student – adult learner- achieve their personal or career goals.

AEL courses are usually held Monday-Thursday from 9 am -12 pm, 1:30-4:30 pm, and 5-7:30 pm. To enroll in our program, you must complete Orientation & Assessments.

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Along with ensuring that our instructors and support staff have a compassionate disposition, are trained in evidence-based teaching and learning strategies, and can effectively employ them, A Safe Haven has also implemented two approaches. These two approaches are Bridge and IET incorporated within our program delivery to help eligible students or trainees pursue their career goals.

  1. A Bridge Course is defined as a course that incorporates the following components: Contextualized Curriculum, Career Exploration activities, and Transition Services.
  2. The IET model is defined as an approach that “provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement.”

Using the components of Bridge and IET, A Safe Haven helps prepare eligible individuals in these occupations or sectors:


culinary

 


welding

 


security

 


custodial engineering

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT

A Safe Haven’s Education & Training Academy provides students with the support services (i.e. tutoring, guidance counseling as defined by ICCB, referrals to housing, food, mental & physical health services, etc.) needed to complete the program.

Student Support and Transition Services are essential components of any adult education and career pathway system as these services assist students in achieving their personal, academic, and career goals. ASH offers the following support services and activities.

  • Guidance Services – may include the following: “Counseling activities with students regarding learning styles/problems; Evaluating the abilities of students; Assisting students to make their own educational and career planning and exploration choices; Assistive or adaptive equipment or special printed materials for AEL students with special needs; Referrals as needed and requested to Title IV (DRS).”
  • Social Work Services – include referrals to emergency housing, food, clothing,
    substance abuse & mental health treatment, healthcare, and childcare services.
  • Tutoring and Support Classes – are provided to help students obtain a measurable skill gain and pass industry-recognized exams.
  • Transportation – after an individual completes an IET program and is placed in employment, they will receive 2-weeks of transit cards. A Safe Haven will provide Transit cards to students as funding allows.
  • Workforce Preparation Activities – include content in Work-Readiness, Career Awareness & Exploration, Education/Career Plans, Cultural Competency.
  • Digital and Financial Literacy – are essential skills needed for any person to navigate and “win” within our workplace, communities, and globally.
  • Transition Services – are provided by our trained Transition Specialists or Career Navigators. Their primary role is to ensure that as many barriers are mitigated for students so that they may complete their short and mid-term goals and transition to advanced training, post-secondary, or employment.

The eligible population of adult education are adults who:

  • are in most of need of services
  • are at least 16 years of age (Note: Adults must be 18 years of age to enroll in one of A Safe Haven’s Integrated Education & Training programs)
  • are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under state law
  • are basic skills deficient
  • do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent level of education or are English language learners

Please note the following:

A Safe Haven “may serve individuals who have earned a U.S. high school diploma, foreign high school, or postsecondary diploma, or an HSE credential if they have a demonstrated deficiency in basic skills and/or English proficiency. This may be determined using approved assessments for adult education. Services to this population must not prevent those without a high school diploma from attending the program.”


A Safe Haven is approved to operate by the Private Business and Vocational Schools Division of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

A Safe Haven is not accredited by a US Department of Education recognized accrediting body.

COVID-19: A Safe Haven is adhering to all policies and mandates set by the city, state and the CDC guidelines.