Pima Community College’s Adult Basic Education Program celebrates success
Pima Community College's Adult Basic Education Program celebrates success KGUN 9 Tucson News
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National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week Recognizes Pima Community College’s Adult Basic Education Program
Introduction
As National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week comes to a close, Pima Community College’s Adult Basic Education program is being recognized for its significant contributions to improving literacy and providing educational opportunities for adults in Pima County, Arizona.
Program Impact
The program annually assists over 4,000 adults in gaining essential skills. Wendy Scheder Black, the Director of College and Career Transitions and Partnerships in Adult Education, emphasizes the program’s goal of helping individuals achieve their aspirations. She states, “Many of our students are pursuing high school equivalency diplomas, and we also serve English language learners, including many immigrants and refugees.”
Student Testimonial
Amber Owens, a student in the program, shares her experience, stating, “I decided I wanted something bigger for my life… I have found new employment and more support for what I want to do in the future.”
Importance of Adult Education
Scheder Black highlights the essential role of education programs in the community by stating, “Education programs in our communities are absolutely critical. They have such an impact on individuals, their families, and our workforce… Economic development can’t happen without adult education.”
Awards and Recognition
The program recently received eight out of ten awards from the Arizona Association for Lifelong Learning, including the prestigious Student of the Year award presented to Amber Owens. Scheder Black proudly acknowledges the program’s outstanding students, stating, “We have a lot of superstars in our program.”
Future Plans
Amber Owens, now certified in IT support, has ambitious plans to further her education. She shares, “I’m going for IT specialist and then I will be going for my associates in cyber security.”
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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy. | The program helps over 4,000 adults each year gain essential skills. |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university. | Amber Owens, a student in the program, shared her experience, saying, “I decided I wanted something bigger for my life… I have found new employment and more support for what I want to do in the future.” |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. | Owens, now certified in IT support, plans to further her education. She said, “I’m going for IT specialist and then I will be going for my associates in cyber security.” |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labor-intensive sectors. | Scheder Black mentioned having a program like this in our community is essential by saying, “Education programs in our communities are absolutely critical. They have such an impact on individuals, their families, and our workforce… Economic development can’t happen without adult education.” |
Source: kgun9.com
