Education made possible

Brittani Newland
Source Staff Writer

    Have you ever wondered how people who are financially and socially burdened get the motivation to make changes in their life?  Well, Valencia sponsors a program that does just that.

    The Prometheus Project is a college credit course for economically deprived adults who have never had the opportunity or motivation to go to college.  The program began 9in 2001 after John Scolaro, a humanities professor and Director of the Prometheus Project as Val3encia, was inspired by an interview with Earl Shorris on National Public Radio.

    Shorris' radio presentation on the Clemente Course for the Humanities paved the way for the Prometheus Project course, which is a variation of the course described in Earl Shorris's book, Riches for the Poor.  This book studied the increasing growth of poverty in the United States and how a simple understanding through the area of humanities could positively reinforce self worth for those in need.

    The college credit course follows a dialogue-based study of mostly philosophy, literature, art and history.  Steven Davis, a former homeless man of Orlando, went through the Prometheus Project and is now a student at East.  He is majoring in music production and graduate soon with a GPA close to 4.0.  Davis has aspirations of getting both a master's and doctorate degrees.

    By participating in the course some people derive inspiration and their self-motivation increases, along with their self esteem, Scolaro said.  It just puts them on the right track.  They see themselves in a different way and, in many cases, are able to turn down a different road.

    Since the program began, the Prometheus Project has received funding from donors such as The Ripple Effect, Inc., The Wayne Densch Center and The Colation for the Homeless of Central FLorida, Inc.  It also got a grant from the Florida Humanities Council (FHC) in St. Petersburg.

    This year the Phase III Promethues Project Grant application was renewed and will take effect-starting Feb.1 for one full year.

    "It is the third grant award we received and probably the last," Scolaro said.

    The 15-page grant application is enhanced by letters of support, resumes and excerpts from the Web site.

    The Project taped a television special last June, to honor grant obligations and it will be released throughout the year, Steve Norman, director of TV and video production said.

    The $23,566 grant will allow the program to implement two college-level Prometheus courses and provide textbooks and materials for each student enrolled in the course.

    Scolaro is hopeful that on day the whole project will be fully sponsored by Valencia.