HOULTON, Maine — The staff at the Houlton-Hodgdon Adult and Community Education program brings a wealth of experience to the program. In 2016 Joe Fagnant, Ken Ervin, and Patti Sloat all started adult education at the same time, so there was a huge learning curve to understand the complexities of the world of adult education.
“It was a great blend of leadership in our office as Patti came to us with a great knowledge of families in the community and available resources,” said Joe Fagnant, director of the HHACE. “Ken brought the professionalism of knowing how to get students into college and be successful through his work at Franklin Pierce University and his current work with TRIO Student Support Services. I had the connections and experiences of working in both RSU 29 and SAD 70. We learned what the Maine Department of Education leadership team in Augusta wanted from our program.”
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- Josh Shields, left, received the 2019 Outstanding Achievement and Perseverance award from Assistant Director Ken Ervin at the Houlton-Hodgdon Adult and Community Education center. (Photo courtesy of Joe Fagnant)
While there was a large learning curve, the group leaned on other Aroostook County adult ed programs for help and guidance. The HHACE had many programs under one roof and continues to look to expand options for the Southern Aroostook region.
Besides the main office staff, HHACE has a veteran group of part-time teachers assisting students throughout the year. This dedicated teaching staff works with students in an open learning center on student specific goals and plans. The past two years teaching team included Christopher Bossie, Lynn Brown, Kathy Chase, Juli Dickinson, Judi Howard, Stephen Hynick, Deborah Melvin, Martha Schools, and Maryann Sylvain.
HHACE’s goal is to provide an individualized program for each student, focusing on their needs and goals. “The initial meeting allows us to find out more about the student, including their career or work goals, and then look at their learning strengths,” Fagnant said. “We want to know more about the student including how they learn and what their interests are. We also encourage students to focus on their education and career goals beyond their diploma.”
The next step of the process is to set up an individualized learning plan and have them enter the classroom ready to work. Students come to the program with goals and aspirations, but challenges must be faced and overcome. Many students push through life challenges and keep walking through the door.
Josh Shields was recognized as the winner of the Outstanding Achievement and Perseverance Award and was the guest speaker at the end of the year celebration. He highlighted the challenges he faced as a student. “One day I got enough courage to walk through the door, and was greeted with a smile by Ken and Joe.” Shields said. “I did my classes at night and a couple of times during the day because of my job, which worked out great. Everything was going well until I lost my mom. It was the hardest thing I ever faced, so I took some time off. When I restarted, I was supported and encouraged by my teachers. I will be forever thankful to Joe, Ken, Deb, Steve and Lynn for believing in me and showing me that I can do anything I put my mind to.”
Students of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds come to adult education to finish their diploma or HiSet. It is a bulk of the hours of operation for office staff and teachers, but is one portion of the entire program. HHACE still conducts traditional enrichment programs as part of their overall mission to bring educational opportunities to our region.
Enrichment classes such as quilting, woodworking, photography, art courses, and computer classes are open to the public to learn new skills and enjoy. These traditional enrichment courses still exist throughout Maine, but a new emphasis has been placed on assisting adult learners towards training and employment courses to address shortages in the workforce. Learners can also access online workforce training courses through a special program called ed2go which covers a wide variety of business, health care, and career related certifications.
For more information, visit https://rsu29-70.maineadulted.org/
