She and her staff are working hard to meet the learning needs of some 38 children who attend the Education Center daily. As her first goal, Morales is working with Central Union School District and Lemoore High School to improve school attendance. In the past, poor attendance has been a problem, but now her department is solving the matter by offering a stand-by driver service for parents who are ill or don't have a way to get their children to school. As for the older students who are almost entering high school, Morales is exploring ways to introduce them to all the higher education programs that exist.
Morales says part of the learning process involves building leadership skills.
Students enrolled in the program are expected to meet twice a month with their mentors,participate in three community service projects and attend an education conference. Another goal for Morales is to get parents more involved with their children's education. Morales hopes to do this by asking parents to accompany their children to social, school and community functions. Finally, Morales reports that Susan Melton, her Intervention Specialist, has just completed special training that will allow the Education Department to offer a reading program. As part of the project, the Rancheria has purchased a copy of every book that the local school district has.