WORTHINGTON - Our Adult Basic Education (ABE) program serves all learners ages 17 and older who are not enrolled in school and who want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing, math, listening and speaking. The classes that we offer to meet these needs include GED (General Educational Development), ESL (English as a Second Language), Citizenship, and general math.
We also offer FastTRAC programming in CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), TMA (Trained Medication Aide) and Community Interpreter certification. All of these classes are offered for free to the participants.
Last year we enrolled 905 students who attended 70,600 hours. We offer classes Monday through Friday, morning, afternoon and evening, to accommodate varying work schedules.
We have six teachers in Worthington, two of whom are full time, and the rest are part time. On any of these days we may have more than 200 students come through our classrooms. We also offer classes in Fulda, Luverne, Chandler, Edgerton and Pipestone.
To enhance our instruction, we use volunteers who come in and work with the students. Some work one-on-one with a student, and others work with small groups of students.
Last year we had 42 volunteers who donated slightly more than 1,400 hours of their time. Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a Literacy Volunteer can contact our volunteer coordinator, Stacy Everding, 372-1216.
This fall we have some exciting new additions to our class offerings. We have opened up our computer lab to offer computer instruction every Tuesday. A knowledgeable teacher will be there to instruct learners in everything from basic computer skills to the use of Microsoft Word and Excel. Learners will have the opportunity to earn a Northstar Digital Literacy certificate that will verify the areas in which they are proficient. Interested individuals can call 372-1239 to get signed up for free computer training.
Another new class we are offering is called Employment Readiness - Health Care Careers. This class will focus on career exploration, employment soft skills, goal-setting, and job seeking skills. One day a week, the class will receive training in the area of Personal Care Attendant (PCA). The students will learn the skills necessary to do a home health job, and prepare to take an online assessment to earn a PCA certificate. This class begins September 28th, and interested individuals can call 372-1239 to get signed up.
Our FastTRAC program is grant-funded, and provides free training to individuals who qualify. The next class that we will offer is Community Interpreter training. Those who successfully complete the class and an oral proficiency interview will be awarded a certificate stating their level of interpreting proficiency. The class will begin in November. Interested individuals can call 372-1239 to begin the enrollment process.
Marty Olsen is the Adult Basic Education Coordinator for Worthington Independent School District 518.
