BUTLER TWP — For 34 years, the adult literacy program offered at Butler County Community College has helped people open the door to a better life.

Like so many other things in 2020, it was forced to adjust due to COVID-19.

“When everything was shut down last March, we got up and running online as fast as we could,” said Barb Gade, the program's grant director at BC3. “Nobody was trained to do it and we had to let everyone involved know that we were going to do everything remotely, and there was about a two-week lapse.”

The literacy program is free to students as the result of funds provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Through BC3, the program is also offered in Mercer and Lawrence counties.

Simply teaching adults to read is one of its purposes, but the program also provides instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies in preparation to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

Instruction in financial and computer literacy is also offered.

“Through our program, people gain confidence,” said Gade. “They attain skills they need to go on to a trade school, four-year college or community college. It leads to better jobs and a better life.

“Unfortunately, the virus really affected the number of people who completed the program. In a normal (fiscal) year (July 1 to June 30), we have between 35 to 45 earn their diploma. Last year, we had 12. There were others who started, but they did not finish,” she said.

One of the 12 who did finish was Chicora resident Beth Dinger, a mother of five children.

In an interview with William Foley, BC3's coordinator of news and media content, Dinger revealed that as a child, she had big dreams for herself. She thought of being everything from a lawyer or chemist to even an astronaut.

But after becoming pregnant with her first child as a junior at Karns City High School 15 years ago, she left in-person instruction and later enrolled in a virtual charter school, but it closed before she completed her studies.

“I didn't want to give up on my dreams,” Dinger said, “but at that point, I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. It seemed kind of pointless to get my diploma.”

But last winter, she decided to give it another try. She succeeded June 23, when she took and passed the final two tests.

“It's a sign that I can do what I believe I can,” Dinger told Foley. “I can accomplish things even if it seems difficult with schedules and children.”

Dinger's current dream is to become a mycologist, a branch of biology focusing on fungi. With her high school diploma in hand, she can move forward toward that goal.

“It sounds too good to be true,” Dinger said. “It's hard to believe I actually got this far.”

Another casualty caused by the virus was the number of instructors within the program.

“Last year, we had nine teachers, but have been cut down to four,” Gade said. “The federal funding we receive is the same, but the funding from the state has been cut significantly. We had to let some instructors go.

“Hopefully, we will get that funding again and can hire them back.”

Prior to the virus, BC3 had several sites where the program was offered, including the school's main campus and the one in Cranberry Township, Career Link and First Methodist Church, both in Butler, and Deshon Place at the site of the former VA hospital in Butler Township. Courses were also offered at Butler County Prison.

The only current face-to-face instruction is being offered two days per week, 2½ hours at a time, at First United Methodist Church, while the online instruction is ongoing.

Thirty students are currently part of the program, 12 of whom are taking advantage of the face-to-face instruction.

“That's one good thing that has come out of this, the online instruction,” Gade said. “We never offered it before, but realize that for some people, even without the virus, they can't be successful without online learning. Some have kids at home or other circumstances that don't allow them to leave the house.

“We plan on keeping remote learning part of the program. Our teachers have adjusted well and are getting better and better with it.”

Gade is still anxious to get back to more face-to-face learning.

“Sometimes with online instruction, there's people at home who demand your attention while you're trying to learn, but it's different when there's a place dedicated to learning,” she said. “Students bond with the teacher and with each other. They encourage each other and that helps their psyche.”

For more information on BC3's adult literacy program, call 724-287-8711, Ext. 8350.