The activities of the first five years of New York City's Welfare Education Program are summarized. Operation Second Chance and Mothers at School, the two parts of WEP, provide 194 basic education classes, with a combined enrollment of 4,000. The program is intended to give welfare recipients the basic skills and self-confidence they need to obtain work and break the cycle of poverty. The history and early efforts of the program are described. Data concerning student characteristics are provided. Teachers' observations and students' comments, letters, poems and compositions illustrate the booklet. Sections describe the students; school, parents and children; the staff; curriculum; curriculum enrichment; and counseling services. New directions through the urban living skills curriculum, recruitment, computer assisted instruction, and a pre-reading program are also described. Recommendations are made for teacher training, establishment of a resource center, counseling, annual salaries for professional staff, increased use of sub-professionals, and greater teamwork. Legislation supporting the program is quoted in an appendix. (KM)