Maine Adult Education Association receives grant

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Shirley Wright, executive director of the Maine Adult Education Association (MAEA), is pleased to announce that the association has received a $10,000 grant from the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE), generously funded in part by Dollar General Literacy Foundation. This grant will be used to help MAEA contract with distinguished speakers from around the country on pertinent topics in Adult Education for a regional New England conference in June.

    With the passage of the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by the federal government, adult education programs are reshaping their work to focus solidly on employment outcomes for those attending job training and job readiness programs. With the passage of this act, there is much to learn during the implementation phase. Maine Adult Education has taken the lead by stepping up to secure funds that will get the most up-to-date information out to the field in a way that will be accessible by programs in all of the New England states at the lowest possible travel costs.
    According to Wright, adult education programs have always been leaders in helping adults acquire the skills needed to find meaningful employment, starting with basic skills and moving through to high school diplomas and beyond. Adult education programs are innovative and diverse, offering adult basic education programs, which include helping adults learn to read, write and do math, technology education programs, high school diploma courses, English as a second language classes, as well as a myriad of vocational and certificate job training programs. Many programs also work hand in hand with businesses to customize training as needed. Those working in adult education need to be flexible and well trained.
    The grant was written to support training needs of adult educators across the New England region and will be held on June 16-18 at Bowdoin College. The theme of the conference is “Rise to the Challenge – Understanding and Implementing WIOA” and presentations will focus on implementation of new WIOA legislation as well as offering more in-depth training around the College and Career Readiness Standards, the adult learner version of the Common Core Standards, used by adult education programs around the country.
    The conference will feature five strands for adult educators, including the following: College and Career Readiness Foundational Standards for English as a Second or Other Language Learners; Building Programs that follow Career Pathways and Certificate Program Credentials; WIOA and Effective Program Administration; WIOA, College and Career Readiness and Adult Basic Education (ABE) and High School Completion – Building Quality Programs; and Issues for Support Staff (Data Entry and Integrity).
    Conference chair is Razell Ward, adult education director in Turner and MAEA president-elect. She expressed her excitement about the conference by saying, “This is the first regional COABE conference to be held in Maine since 2006 and it is exciting to be building a conference with MAEA that will deepen our knowledge on WIOA and the standards plus have an opportunity to network locally, regionally and nationally right here in Maine, as we rise to the WIOA challenge!”
    Assisting Ward will be Thelma Regan, president of the Maine Adult Education Association and adult education director of Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative that serves the school districts in Dover-Foxcroft, Milo, Guilford and Dexter. Regan commented, “I am excited as the details of our annual conference come together. This COABE Grant provides MAEA resources to recruit knowledgeable researchers and practitioners from beyond our borders, bringing a different voice and perspective on how to best address the legislative changes that effect adult education.”
    Also assisting in conference planning are directors and other adult education personnel from all over the state.
    Wright expressed that MAEA is excited to get to work planning all of the smaller conference details.  The 2015 conference will be a wonderful experience open to all adult educators in New England and beyond. More information to programs will be sent on a monthly basis.