Julie Dixon, 41, and her 13-year old daughter Andrea have been living at the women's shelter in downtown Orlando for two and a half months now.  Dixon's apartment was condemned, she had no money, and eventually ended up at the shelter.

Dixon said she wants to get her life straight.  She is working 33 hours a week at Publix and is saving money hoping to further her education, possibly attending Orlando Vo-Tech to become an x-ray technician.  Dixon has already began her education by enrolling in the Clemente Course in the Humanities.

Scolaro is project director of the Clemente Program, which offers a non-credit level course in the humanities to the indigent.

The class, which began Oct. 2 is held Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. at two separate locations: the Women's Residential and Counseling Center (WRCC) on East Colonial Drive and the Wells' Built Museum of African-American History and Culture on Parramore Avenue.

Classes at the WRCC, a branch of the Coalition for the Homeless are taught by East campus Professor of Humanities Elizabeth Eschbach.  She teaches six to eight female students, all residents of the WRCC, in their library.  The Clemente Program offers free childcare for WRCC attendees with children.

David Sutton, a Humanities professor on the East campus teaches at the Wells' Built Museum.  There are approximately 12 students from the Wayne Densch Center men's shelter and three from The Ripple Effect, a non-profit organization that provides food, clothing and other basic needs to the homeless.

Residents of these centers must maintain willful employment, and WRCC residents are required to pay weekly rent.

The Clemente Program provides free transportation to and from the Well's Built Museum.

Eschbach said that the class is better than she expected.  She is happy with the number of students due to the nature of the course.

At first Dixon feared the course would interfere with her religious beliefs.  However, said Dixon, "It (the course) has really broadened my thinking and it doesn't clash with my Christianity".

Students at both locations are studying Moral Philosophy and Literature and are learning about the Greek Philosophers Socrates and Plato.

However, women at WRCC are reading literature by and about females as well.  They recently read the play Antigone which focuses on the strength of society that values women.

"Antigone" was a female with a lot of strength, not afraid to stand up for what she believed n.  That is the kind of person I am", said Alfreda Huntington, 55 year old student and resident of the WRCC.  "I am very proud of who I am.  I am a well-educated black woman.  I wouldn't want to be anyone else."

Donna Miller, 35, is in her second semester at Valencia West Campus.  She said the she is taking the class to get used to studying again and because she has not taken any previous humanities courses.

"It makes you think outside the box," said Miller.

Applications were distributed and collected at both shelters on Sept. 6. They were reviewed by: Eschbach, Sutton, Scolaro and an individual from the advisory counsel.

The application requested candidates write a one to two page letter expressing their interest in humanities, to discuss a book or story they had read that had a significant impact on their life, and to express what they hoped to get out of the Clemente Course.

In the future, Scolaro hopes to offer the credit course instead of, or in conjunction with the non-credit course.

"It [The Clemente Course] is rigorous whether credit or a certificate is received," said Scolaro.

Scolaro said that his expectations of the course were that those students enrolled in this variation of the Clemente Program would succeed and be awarded a certificate by Valencia President Dr. Sanford Shugart at an award ceremony.

"This would open a door at college level-eventually leading to a college degree," said Scolaro.

"The goals of the Clemente Program can be viewed on the Web site at http://valenciacc.edu/clemente .

The homepage plays the lyrics, "Mamma can't get a job.  Papa can't get a job," by the Jazz group Shade.

Dr. Shugart will soon record a song on the East Campus that he has written about homelessness to replace Shade's song.

"I am intrigues that learning can be liberating.  It empowers people with knowledge to make their way through the system," said Shugart.  "Sometimes homeless people are trapped."

Valencia Community College with a $22,916 grant from the Florida Humanities Council (FHC) currently fund the Clemente Project an account with the Valencia Foundation in the name of the program has been created in the hopes of receiving additional contributions.

WRCC contributed $200 and The Wayne Densch Center and Ripple Effect contributed $400.

The Clemente Project began in 1995 as a result of the research of author Earl Shorris, focusing on giving students better opportunities.

"The most valuable thing I have learned in the Clemente Course is that you can overcome." said Dixon.  "You can be your own person and stand up for your own beliefs, despite the tremendous odds against you."

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Jennifer Gilliam can be reached at jgilliam@atlas.valenciacc.edu