The Adult Education and Literacy Program provides education services that prepare adults with the essential skills they need to function as workers, citizens and family members of the 21st century. The program enables them to develop essential skills for living and wage earning and to better their self-concepts.
Services provide skill development from beginning reading through high school completion and on to review and transition to college. These services are offered through a variety of learning options (e.g., open entry Learning Center, group instruction, individual tutoring, distance learning with varied levels of learning participation from one hour to 30 hours weekly. Course offerings include: reading and other basic skills (math, writing, etc.), keyboarding/computer training, GED preparation, college preparation, test-taking strategies, English-as-a-Second Language (for those whose first language is not English), résumé writing, Internet job search and job readiness/interview techniques.
The Adult Education Program does not charge students for services that are considered to be "usual and customary". Usual and customary services include educational offerings below the post-secondary level - such as adult education and literacy, family literacy, ESL. If the services provided exceed the definition of "usual and customary", programs may charge students a fee in order to recover the actual cost.
The core of the Adult Education Program is located at the Ashland Technical College, 4818 Roberts Drive in Ashland. The components are as follows:
The Adult Education Program is a One-Stop partner in Boyd County. The program is also a component of Kentucky Works, providing the Welfare-to-Work Program "Boyd Works" partnering with the local office of Community Based Services who provides referrals to the program. Other primary partners include Pathways, Ashland Community & Technical College, Ashland Independent School System, the Boyd County School System, the Fairview School System, the Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, Boyd County Public Library, and Ashland One Stop Career Center, etc.
Eligible program participants are those individuals who:
For Family Literacy, family is defined as at least one child between the ages of birth and eighteen years and at least one adult who is primarily responsible for the child's well being and who is consistently an influence on the child's development. The adult shall meet the eligibility requirement for participation in adult education.
The mission of the Ashland/Boyd County Adult Education and Literacy Program is to recognize and develop the potential of adults who need to strengthen their skills in the areas of basic education, pre-employability skills and life skills while instilling a desire for life-long learning.
The mission will be accomplished through the involvement of teachers, students, volunteers, businesses, governmental agencies and other educational resources.
The present Adult Education Program began in October 1974 with the Adult Learning Center and a staff of two. The center served 114 individuals that year. Over the years the Program has expanded from a single one-facet Learning Center to a multi-faceted Program with several components. In 2002 the Program served 1,154 adult learners with a staff of 14. Over the years thousands of adults have received services from the Adult Education Program and over 2,500 have received their GED.
