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UAM-CTC Will Celebrate Adult
Education Week Following Governor’s Proclamation (9/10/09)
MONTICELLO, AR — The UAM College of Technology-Crossett (UAM-CTC) will
hold open houses spotlighting its adult education programs on September
22-23. The open houses are scheduled in conjunction with a proclamation by
Governor Mike Beebe designating September 21-25 as Adult Education Week and
September 23 as GED Pride Day.
“We have a lot to offer our students, from computer literacy training to GED
testing,” said Janie Carter, UAM-CTC adult education director.
The adult education program has joined with the Career Pathways Program to
offer students more opportunities, according to Carter. Through this
partnership students may qualify for gas and day care vouchers while
attending adult education classes. Students may also qualify for college
tuition assistance to further their education. These partnerships have
allowed the UAM-CTC to offer Career Readiness Certificates (CRC),
Employability Certificates, and job placement assistance.
“Adult education has become much more than preparing for the GED exam to
earn the Arkansas High School Diploma,” said Carter. “Adult education has
many facets, including ESL classes (English as a Second Language), basic
computer literacy skills, employability training, tutoring for college
entrance exams, workplace education where classes are offered on-site at
businesses and industries, and general basic academics.
According to Carter, many students enroll to brush up on mathematics,
reading, writing, and language before enrolling in college classes. “Our
adult education classrooms teach adults functioning at 0.0 reading level,
which is a non-reader, through the 12.9+ grade level,” Carter explained.
“One distinction in Arkansas is that all adult education instructors must be
certified teachers holding current Arkansas Teacher’s Licenses.”
Adult education classes are free to participants and are held Monday through
Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5
to 8 p.m. at three locations in Ashley County. Locations are 311 North
Mulberry, Hamburg; 1326 Highway 52 West, Crossett; and 308-A Pine, Crossett.
UAM-CTC is one of only 17 programs in the state that also offer distance
education classes to prepare students for the GED test and/or the Arkansas
Career Readiness Certificate. According to Carter, the American Council on
Education, which oversees the General Educational Testing Service in
Washington, D.C., has issued warnings to consumers not to participate in any
online testing program that proposes to be a GED program while charging a
fee for studying or for testing. Such programs do not represent an
authentic GED credential. In Arkansas, both the preparation for and taking
of the official GED test is free. For more information on any adult
education programs in Ashley County, call 364-6414 or 1-866-323-3384.
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