A-B Tech is celebrating National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week from September 14-20 by highlighting the successes of its High School Equivalency (HSE), English Language Acquisition (ELA), and Successful Occupational Achievement Readiness (SOAR) programs.
The programs serve a wide variety of adult students of different ages and backgrounds, said Coordinator of Transitional Studies Erica Witsell. “From helping a 19-year-old earn their high school equivalency diploma to teaching a septuagenarian English to guiding a first-generation college student through the admission process, our doors are open to all,” she said.
The college enrolled 1,262 students in its HSE and ELA programs last year and is on pace with similar enrollment so far this year. The SOAR program has a cohort of 15 adults who are working to develop occupational skills.
More than 30 million Americans over the age of 25 – or one of every nine U.S. citizens – do not have a high school diploma. A-B Tech’s HSE and Adult High School programs are working to break the cycles of low literacy, low education, and poverty. The college also helps HSE and Adult High School graduates further their education by enrolling in its post-secondary academic, workforce, and continuing education programs.
ELA (also known as English as a Second Language or ESL) classes are free to the community and offered during the day and evening to accommodate working adults.
Now in its second year, the SOAR program offers a free vocational and literacy training program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This two-year program develops students' academic, social, and workforce skills through projects and contextualized lessons and activities.
During Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, A-B Tech will showcase student success stories on its website and social media accounts. Many of these students came to A-B Tech for an adult education program and went on to enroll in other programs, gradually building upon their experience and increasing their employment opportunities and earning potential.
“We hope that these student stories underscore the inestimable value of adult education and provide inspiration not only for students and educators but for anyone who dares to pursue their dreams, even later in life,” Witsell said.
For more information about A-B Tech’s adult education programs, visit Adult Ed or call (828) 398-7433.