Aroostook County’s adult education programs experienced higher graduation rates in the 2023-24 school year, local directors said.
The County has five adult education programs, located in Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton, Madawaska/Fort Kent and Van Buren. These are collectively known as “Hub 2.”
“We’ve definitely had an increase over the last few years,” said Shara Page, SAD 1 adult education director. “We had 34 students who graduated last [fiscal year] 2023-2024. So far this year, we have had 11 graduates, putting us ahead of where we were a year ago. Our average graduation age was 19 last year, with half of the students between ages 17 and 19.”
The combined programs of Fort Kent and Madawaska also saw an increase with 17 total graduates. Caribou numbers have stayed roughly the same, with 16 graduates last spring.
“Our CNA, CDL and CT programs have been doing well consistently and provide the majority of our learners,” said Ian Connell, college transitions coordinator in Caribou.
Local program directors talked about trends they were seeing with student enrollment.
“We’re seeing a younger population enroll, which is likely a residual COVID effect,” said Christa Galipeau, SAD 1 academic coordinator. “We are also seeing that students are recognizing that what we offer is an alternative pathway to a high school credential, especially for those who had struggled in a traditional classroom setting
“Now, instead of just high school dropouts, we are serving students and parents who are immediately pivoting to adult education rather than just giving up altogether. There’s been a paradigm shift in the way many learners are thinking about how they want to learn,” Galipeau said.
Fort Kent/Madawaska Adult Education Director Stacey Cyr has also seen more younger students dropping out or transitioning to homeschooling and then seeking adult education as their high school completion option.
“Additionally, some younger students have multiple barriers that impede commitment to academic goals such as parents who are not involved, mental health issues, substance abuse problems, learning gaps, and soft skill gaps. There is an increased need for badging or micro credentialing for those seeking employment as soon as possible,” Cyr said.
In 2021, Hub 2 received a grant from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Program. This allowed the group to hire a full-time college and career success coordinator. This initiative happened throughout the state, with a success coordinator placed on each of the seven community college campuses.
The coordinators work with current and prospective community college students who may need additional assistance with advising, career planning or acquiring the academic skills needed to successfully complete college-level work.
“The role of the CCSC is really versatile, depending on what the needs of the students and community are, but the primary responsibility of the role is that serves as a bridge between adult education and the local community college,” said Dr. Sarah Bushey, the college and career success coordinator serving Aroostook County.
“Because of the ability to straddle both educational settings, the position is able to assist more learners in getting them from where they are to where they want to be academically and/or professionally,” Bushey said.
“One student we had last year was the first student in his family to graduate high school,” said Galipeau. “We’ve had siblings that came back and graduated together, and a husband and wife that graduated together. We had a student that came to Aroostook County without any family support as a minor, graduated from our program with a high school diploma, was accepted to NMCC and then got a job and an apartment. There are a lot of really amazing success stories that we see every year.”
“In Fort Kent, we had a 17-year old student with a long history of mental health issues and academic struggles,” Cyr said. “He was extremely unsuccessful, unmotivated, with many behavioral concerns. His parents were both educators, and he was not meeting their expectations and felt like a failure.”
The student enrolled in adult ed as a last resort. He struggled with accountability but after many failed attempts at attending class, he began to understand that his success depends on his own decisions, she said.
“He stopped blaming others, voluntarily did homework at home (his parents were amazed), and completed a fantastic career project that neither he nor his parents ever expected he could do,” she said, adding there was some emotion at his final presentation and he said Adult Education and his instructor helped lead him from ‘being a boy to a man’ with a plan and a goal.
The student plans to pursue a career in small engine repair.
“We want adult learners to know that we are here for them,” Page said. “We accept, validate and appreciate that there are other aspects of their lives that are important rather than just education; they are caretakers, parents, employees, and students. They can come and go as much as they need to. There is zero judgment and we welcome them back no matter how long they have been away.”To learn more about adult education in Aroostook County, visit https://maineadulted.org/ or email info@maineadulted.org.
