Richard Peterson

Richard has been the CEO of Project Learn since 1992 and has been an educator since 1969 when he began his teaching career at Cleveland Heights High School.  He briefly taught in the Cleveland Public Schools and taught at a correctional facility for Native American youth in Tucson, Arizona.  He then returned to Cleveland and served as the Associate Director of the Area Councils Association from 1972 to 1977.  It was there he met Nancy Oakley, the founder of Project Learn, and in 1973 the two of them helped found the Cleveland Task Force on Literacy, which, in time, became Project Learn.

Richard later was involved in educational policy and programming with the West Side Community Mental Health Center, the West Side Ecumenical Ministry, and the Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland.

He has also been a part-time adjunct instructor in the Department of English at Cleveland State University since 1989.  He is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University with a B.A. degree in History, and he has an M.A. in English from Cleveland State University.  He is married to Maria Asher, enjoys reading history and science fiction, loves to write, and loves to tell stories.

Richard Peterson can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 216.612.9483, ext. 13.

Robert Bivins

Robert is the Program Director of Education at Work.  He has been involved in education for over thirty-seven years.

Robert has held a variety of education positions throughout his career.  He began his career in the St. Louis, Missouri Public Schools.  Robert then taught in the Shaker Heights School District.  Starting in 1986 he taught middle school in the Cleveland Public School District.

Robert became the Program Coordinator for Cleveland’s Interchurch Council in 1987, and in 1996 he became a full time adult education instructor at Project Learn.  In 2000, he was made the Program Director for Project Learn’s Education at Work program.

Robert has a B.A. from Washington University and an M.A. in Education from Kent Sate University.  He is an aficionado of classical and modern jazz, and he loves to read and take cross-country train trips.

For more information about the Education at Work Program, Robert Bivins can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 216.621.9483, ext. 19.

Sandra Garth

Sandra is the Program Director of Education First. She has been an educator for 30 years and previously taught GED at Cuyahoga Community College and Youth Opportunities (YO Cleveland).  She enjoys helping students achieve their goals. Sandra has a Bachelors of Arts degree from Central State University. Currently she is working towards her M.B.A. at Indiana Wesleyan University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

When she is not focused on being an administrator/educator, Sandra can be found chasing her two Golden Retrievers, Winter and Stormy, around the park. She loves spending time with her husband of 30 years, Wendall, and two children, Serita and Wendall, who are also graduates of Central State University.

To reach Sandra Garth, please email her at  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or give her a call at 216.621.9483, ext. 16.

Barbara Watson

Barbara is the Program Director of Basic Skills.  She has been an instructor and trainer with Project Learn for thirty-three years.  Barbara is also the director of Project Learn’s Volunteer Tutor program.  She trains over fifty people each year to become one-to-one reading tutors for the organization’s low-level readers.

After receiving a certificate in Business Studies from Dyke College in 1977, Barbara began her career working in administration for the Greater Cleveland Interchurch Council.  It is there she met Nancy Oakley, the founder of Project Learn, and began her tenure as a certified reading teacher for Project Learn.

Over the years, Barbara has taught over 5,000 students and trained thousands of tutors.  She can be found on many Sundays at local church congregations speaking about Project Learn and the great benefits of becoming a volunteer tutor (she also spends many an evening at community organizations).

Barbara is the Associate pastor of Burning Bush Baptist Church in Collinwood.  Between her ministry and career, Barbara enjoys spending time with her husband of thirty-one years, Thomas, their daughter Nicole and three grandchildren, Brandon, Hosea, and Aliyah.  And, of course, with Mickey, her cockatiel.

To find out more information about becoming a volunteer tutor or to enroll in the Basic Skills program, contact Barbara Watson at  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 216.921.9483, ext. 11.