Cascadia Joins Community Colleges Across the State In Celebrating Adult Literacy Week

For people such as Estefanya Jenson, it is indeed a week worth celebrating. “I feel like a role model for Latinas who quit school. I’m always encouraging them to go back,” says Jenson, who studied English and math at Cascadia, and graduated with her GED in June 2011.

Cascadia Community College, along with , , Everett, and colleges, is joining with students and area employers to celebrate Washington State’s Adult Literacy Week from October 17-21.

The colleges are committed to educating adult learners so that they can master basic skills in order to move into better jobs and support the state’s efforts to build a strong workforce. Currently, one in six adults in Washington lacks the education and training necessary to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. For those individuals, adult basic education can open doors to self-sufficiency. People with high school diplomas or GEDs earn 24% more over their lifetimes than non-graduates, according to state statistics.

“Education should be inclusive rather than illusive,” says Gail Miulli, dean for student learning at Cascadia. “The Adult Basic Education program at Cascadia provides opportunities for hundreds of individuals in our immediate community, who may never have dreamed of attending college, to get an education and build critical skills like reading and writing.”

As part of its commitment to educating adult learners, Cascadia is holding a Basic Skills Transition Resource Fair Wednesday, Oct. 19, from for students enrolled in basic skills courses. Cascadia also offers workforce training, GED classes, courses in basic reading, writing and math skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and high school completion programs.

Cascadia also offers the I-BEST program (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training), which was developed by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges to help underserved populations achieve a livable wage. This program pairs technical and ESL instructors, who work together to teach students the skills they need while simultaneously earning credit toward a certificate or degree.

“Washington’s economic growth and prosperity depends on our ability to make education and job training universally accessible to citizens of all ages and backgrounds,” said Governor Christine Gregoire about the state’s Adult Literacy Week.

For more information on program at Cascadia College check the school’s website.

Information from Cascadia Community College press release