Greater Boston's premier college preparatory program

Since its establishment in 1964, ODWIN's successful community-based college preparatory program has considered education to be the most potent weapon against poverty and vulnerability. ODWIN has been a bridge to personal transformation for thousands of disadvantaged adults in Greater Boston for many years. Our program dramatically impacts people's lives by providing a strong educational foundation necessary for success in college and long-term economic prosperity. We work successfully with:

• Women who are solely responsible for supporting their families;
• Adults whose educational backgrounds have not provided them with the skills necessary to respond to today's employment requirements;
• Immigrants who have varying levels of education and credentials in their native countries but need to build on that foundation in English

At ODWIN, we develop a personal educational plan for each student, which takes into account her/his schedule, eventual career goals, and academic strengths and areas for improvement.

ODWIN is not a GED program and, thus, does not offer GED certificates. Although some of the foundation level courses that we offer overlap with courses taught in a GED programs, we do not offer courses in other subjects that are essential to achieving a GED. Our courses focus specifically on college preparation and covers those subjects that are required when you enter college. Some students, however, enrolled in GED programs will also take courses at ODWIN at the same time.

We offer Foundation Level courses in:

ENGLISH LEARNING CENTER (ELC)

ELC focuses on the basic structure of the language and is usually the level at which students begin their participation in the language component of the program. READ MORE

READING/STUDY SKILLS

The focus of the reading program is on the skills necessary for analyzing and learning from textbooks as well as for demonstrating knowledge on objective tests. The skills included in the program are... READ MORE

MATH LEARNING CENTER (MLC)

The MLC focuses on those fundamental concepts of numbers that are conventionally treated in arithmetic and is usually the level at which students begin their participation in the math component of the program. The MLC is a totally individualized program designed to strengthen whichever of the fundamental arithmetic skills the student particularly needs. These skills include... READ MORE

ACCENT REDUCTION

This is a one-semester course is to help students to speak English clearly. Skills covered include decoding the pronunciation symbols in dictionaries; making correct vowel and consonant sounds; stressing the right syllables in words; stressing important words in sentences; and using... READ MORE

BASIC COMPUTER/INTERNET

Participating students practice typing using Mavis Beacon and learn to operate the computer including using the mouse, keyboard, various Windows and word processing programs; software/programs to write letters, memos, format and set up typing or term papers. Students will learn to navigate the Internet. Areas covered include World Wide Web terminology, setting up email accounts... READ MORE

The offer the following Advanced Level courses:

COMPOSITION 1

This course focuses on the development of the skills necessary to write a cohesive, multi-paragraph essay. The course concentrates on various methods of exposition, e.g. cause-effect, comparison-contrast, extended definition... READ MORE

COMPOSITION 2:

This course focuses on the development of the skills necessary to develop both a
longer expository essay and a research paper. Notetaking, bibliography, footnotes, the formulation of summaries and the finer points of paraphrasing and... READ MORE

HUMANITIES

The Humanities course is designed to introduce students to or reacquaint them with those classical Greek and Roman myths that form the foundation for subsequent literature, academic terminology and social custom. The course... READ MORE

LISTENING AND NOTETAKING/TEST-TAKING

This course teaches students how to take complete and accurate notes from lectures. The use of symbols and abbreviations is presented as well as the shortening of words and phonetic spelling of unfamiliar words... READ MORE

THINKING AND REASONING

This course is designed to assist the student in developing a better understanding of the various aspects of the thought process in general and in understanding and sharpening her/his own cognitive skills. The focus includes... READ MORE

ALGEBRA

Algebra provides transition from the self-paced to the conventionally structured learning mode. The pace of the course itself and the demands on the students to produce in a mathematically sophisticated manner are gradually... READ MORE

PHARMACOLOGICAL MATH

The course is designed for students who are preparing to enter a nursing program. It focuses on the following: use and interpretation of abbreviations; use of methods and/or formulae germane to specific types of problems; conversions between metric and apothecary; preparation of solutions from pure drug and from... READ MORE

BIOLOGY I

An introduction to the basic concepts of biology. The course includes: scientific method, chemical and structural basis of life, structure... READ MORE

BIOLOGY II

The material covered serves as an introduction to anatomy and physiology. Topics covered include skeletal, muscular, integumentary systems, infectious... READ MORE