A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR  RELEASE                                       Contact: Ivette Rodriguez    September 26, 1996                                          (202) 401-0262

Riley Honors Adult Education and Literacy Programs

The programs honored assist individuals such as Juan Antonio Ramirez of Los Angeles to leave a life of crime, gang and drug activity, and become an AmeriCorps program member, performing service in adult and child development classrooms. Ten years ago Ramirez was living on the streets. Today he is employed at Santa Marta Hospital, completing his high school education and serving as parent council president.

Fumiko Dudnik of Missoula, Mont., used adult education services to become an American citizen. Born in Okinawa, she had to quit school in the ninth grade to help support her family. Shortly before her 50th birthday, Dudnik signed up for a General Education Development (GED) certification credentials completion course offered by the Willard Adult Learning Center and received her diploma six months later. She now plans to enroll at the University of Montana, majoring in business, and will receive her U.S. citizenship in October. According to Dudnik, it is her educational successes that spurred her to apply for citizenship and enabled her to meet the citizenship requirements.

The Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs, begun in 1985, recognize programs and practices that can serve as models for educators to assist adult learners in achieving their education, personal and professional goals.

"Adult education and literacy are key activities of the department," Riley said. "I am glad to say that 40 percent of adult Americans took part in all types of education in 1995, up from 32 percent in 1991. If our nation is to remain strong, prosperous and free, we must become a nation of readers and lifelong learners".

This year's awards focus on adult education program models that feature promising practices in family literacy, workplace literacy or services to out-of-school youth. The department invited state directors of adult education to nominate programs for competition, followed by independent expert panel reviews and visits to program sites by Office of Vocational and Adult Education staff.

The following program selection criteria were applied: effectiveness in education gains, program planning, curriculum and instruction, staff development, support services, recruitment and retention, and coordination. Winning programs also must portray diversity in populations served and innovation in instructional approaches for learners in a range of programs, including adult secondary education, English as a second language, family literacy and workplace programs. Since the inception of the awards, winners have ranged from community colleges to community-based organizations. This year's awards are being presented to programs in postsecondary institutions, local education agencies, an academy, a consortium and a community-based organization.

Riley announced the winning programs and presented program representatives with an award at a ceremony today at the National Press Club in Washington.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Descriptions of winning programs are attached.

Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs 1996 Winners

IDAHO (Idaho Falls)
Regional Adult Learning Center
Contact: Darrel L. Hammon (208) 524-3000 Ext. 3382
The Regional Adult Learning Center (ALC) is an integral educational component of Eastern Idaho Technical College in Idaho Falls, Idaho. This linkage enables Adult Basic Education (ABE)/ESL/GED students to transition into vocational/technical programs. Family literacy, workplace literacy, and out-of-school youth initiatives are vital components of this comprehensive program. Extensive emphasis is placed upon collaboration and coordination with school districts, social service agencies, and communities through various projects such as the Job Opportunity Basics Skills (JOBS) program, Interagency Transition Program which works with out-of-school youth with disabilities, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs, literacy councils, bilingual education in the community, and workplace education courses.

MICHIGAN (Flint)
Mott Adult High School
Contact: Facilitator Zimmerman Center (810) 760-7763
Sarvis Center (810) 760-1105
Mott Adult High School (MAHS), a comprehensive adult and community education program, is an integral part of the Flint Community Schools. The adult high school serves approximately 10,000 adults annually by offering basic skills improvement, GED preparation, high school completion, and job training. Forty-five sites are located throughout the community with two full-time centers providing comprehensive instructional, career awareness and assessment services. The program is staffed by a cadre of full-time professional adult educators, including over 100 full-time teachers and more than 100 volunteer tutors who support low-level learners. Each area of instruction, along with academic course content, also incorporates family literacy, integrated basic/vocational skills, community service, and life/study skills training. School-to-work activities are prominent in vocational training classes which include practicums relating basic skills to the world of work.

MONTANA (Missoula)
Missoula Adult Basic Education Willard Adult Learning Center
Contact: Carl Sandell (406) 549-8765
Missoula County Public Schools challenge adults to promote individual responsibility, academic success, life long learning, and respect for one another. Planning is ongoing and participatory, guided by evaluation, and based on a written plan that considers community demographics, needs, resources, and economic and technological trends. This comprehensive adult education program serves more than 800 students a year in Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders and Mineral counties. Of the population served, 126 are disabled, 93 are immigrants, 43 are homeless, 40 are institutionalized, 303 are unemployed, and 207 are on AFDC or General Assistance. Adult education programs are offered at the Willard Adult Learning Center and its outreach sites. Services include: diagnostic and placement testing, GED testing, career exploration and counseling, academic advising, referrals to local agencies, and special study skills. Family literacy, out-of-school youth programs and English as a second language are featured in their services to the community.

NEW HAMPSHIRE (Concord)
Second Start
Contact: Patricia Nelson (603) 228-1341
Second Start is a community-based organization located in Concord, New Hampshire and is currently celebrating 25 years of service to the community. It was established to provide education and support services to educationally and economically disadvantaged adults and adolescents in the greater Concord area. It has evolved into a comprehensive community educational program offering a wide spectrum of services to its learners. Adults are served through adult basic education, GED preparation and testing, adult tutorial services, English as a second language, Even Start Family Literacy, employment preparation, office technology skills training, and step by step career guidance. Adolescents are served through the Alternative High School, Transitional Employment and Training, and the Student Assistant Program. Both adult and adolescent learners are also provided with essential support services through the First Start Daycare Center located on premises and the Second Start transportation system.

NEW MEXICO (Santa Fe)
Adult Basic Education Santa Fe Community College
Contact: Barbara Martinez (505) 438-1643
The Adult Basic Education program (ABE) at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) serves over 2,500 adults in New Mexico. The program serves students in GED, ESL, literacy, workplace education, and family literacy programs. The ABE program holds a minimum of twelve GED preparation classes each week in the GED test areas, as well as in basic computer skills and life skills. It offers five levels of ESL classes at four sites within the community, including one taught at the Detention Center, for a total of 32 classes per week. Students can also work at their own pace in the Developmental Studies Center on campus. In addition, the off-campus Sullivan Learning Lab, where students learn basic computer skills as well as English, serves approximately 75 students per semester. Literacy volunteers have been matched with 463 students this year for individualized instruction or small group instruction in workplaces.

NEW YORK (New York)
Workforce Education The Consortium for Worker Education
Contact: Joseph McDermott (212) 647-1900
The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) is a separately incorporated not-for-profit organization comprised of 34 participating labor unions representing more than 600,000 members in New York City. CWE's mission is to provide education and training programs that offer workers opportunities for life-long learning and training in skills required to build careers in the rapidly changing world of work. CWE offers programs in English as a second language, basic literacy, high school equivalency, workplace literacy, and computer literacy. Each year more than 24,000 workers and family members participate in CWE classes and programs at over 36 learning and training sites located in all five boroughs of the City of New York.

NEW YORK (New York)
Youth Internship Program
Contact: Catherine Grechkosey (212) 348-0286
The Youth Internship Program (YIP) is a program of the Young Adult Learning Academy (YALA). YALA was established in 1984 and is overseen through a collaboration comprising the Office of the Mayor, City University of New York, Board of Education, and the Department of Employment. YALA was established to develop and demonstrate approaches that would enable older adolescent dropouts to complete their education and become employed. YIP, established in 1988, serves out-of-school youth between the ages of 17 and 21 in careers in early childhood education. The program is comprised of six months of training using an integrated curriculum of academic subjects, early childhood development and employment skills, combined with a six week internship in a day care center. Comparable diversity exists in students' personal backgrounds. Of the 75 participants served last year, 82% were female, 18% male, and 36% were parents.

NORTH CAROLINA (Wilkesboro)
Basic Skills at Wilkes Community College
Contact: Diane Harper (910) 838-6118
The Basic Skills program at Wilkes Community College embraces the College's Vision 2000 initiative, a shared vision in education reform directed toward enhancing teaching and learning for the 21st Century. It is geared to prepare adult learners for careers, and to assist those already employed in gaining new skills and knowledge. This adult education program serves a diverse and largely rural population with extensive educational needs, including services for large numbers of high school drop-outs and new immigrants to the area. In addition to a high level of commitment, strong leadership and use of extensive institutional resources, the program enhances opportunities for its adult learners through successful collaborations and partnerships with other agencies, businesses and organizations in the community. To help achieve the performance objectives that the program establishes, it is successfully using innovative instructional approaches at work sites and family resource centers, in addition to its regular on and off-campus classes. Last year, the program served some 1,568 students.

OHIO (Canton)
Family Literacy Program
Contact: John Pieper (330) 438-2555
The Canton Family Literacy Program integrates basic literacy instruction, parenting education, early childhood education, parent-child interaction, and employment exploration to provide intergenerational, family focused services. The program is built on existing community and school district resources. Local social service agencies provide related services such as child care, transportation and information on health and parenting concerns. At each of the six program sites, two teachers provide an integrated program of instruction which includes basic literacy and numeracy skills, employability skills and parenting skills, while down the hall, their children learn and play in developmentally appropriate early childhood settings. This concept of families learning together encourages and inspires both parents and children.

OHIO (Cincinnati)
Great Oaks Workplace Literacy Program
Contact: Arthur P. Ftacnik (513) 771-8925
The Great Oaks Workplace Literacy Program provides 55 hours of literacy instruction at 12 work sites in greater Cincinnati. All classes are funded by the businesses where they are located. Current offerings include basic skills such as reading, writing, math, GED Test preparation, communication skills, personal finance, blueprint reading, and English as a Second Language. Each on-site program is designed specifically to meet the literacy and math skill needs of employees as determined by the job requirements of the individual companies. This program is conducted within the context of Great Oaks's Adult Basic and Literacy Education focus, which has as its goal to provide quality programs of assessment, fundamental skills update, and goal-oriented training for adults in the general population and employer-initiated programs.

TEXAS (Austin)
Austin Community College Adult Education Program
ACCESS-- Austin Community College Educational Services and Support
Contact: Deborah Gaddy (512) 223-7532
Austin Community College (ACC) has served as the prime sponsor for the Adult Basic Education Program of the Travis County Co-op since September 1973. The program, funded annually by Federal, State, and local funds, serves more than 5,000 of the 35,000 students enrolled at ACC each year, at 39 sites across Travis and Williamson counties. Four of the college's adult education efforts include: GED Plus Program, the Family Literacy Program, the Workplace Education Program, and the Alternative High School. Through the program's mission, range of comprehensive services, and effective partnerships within the college and in the community, it is able to provide comprehensive services to its students to cover a wide geographic and demographic area of need. This capability is one of the program's most outstanding elements.

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