SREB Adult Learning Campaign

A Web site of resources for states, the higher education community
and organizations interested in the advancement of adult learning.
 

SREB launched a regional campaign to increase participation in adult learning in the South. “SREB states can lead the nation in educational progress,” SREB asserted in Goals for Education: Challenge to Lead. But this cannot be done without gains in adult participation, in addition to our continued efforts with high school graduates. Just to achieve the national average means that 1.3 million more adults in the South will need to obtain a baccalaureate degree.…read more. (Adobe Acrobat PDF format)

What's New

The Adult Learning Campaign (ALC) report, Investing Wisely in Adult Learning is Key to State Prosperity, was released in June 2005 as part of SREB's Challenge to Lead education goals series. It documents the benefits of providing more education for adults who did not complete high school and the urgency of increasing the number of high school dropouts who pursue further education. It focuses on three key indicators of progress: enrollment in Adult Basic Education, GED completion and enrollment of students who earned the GED credential in postsecondary education. Some SREB states have made strides in developing policies and programs for adult learners, and the report profiles their efforts and results. The report offers some promising practices for addressing the adult learning challenge facing SREB states.

The ALC initiated pilot efforts in Louisiana and Virginia. In the first of these pilots, the ALC and the SREB Go Alliance continue to work with the state of Louisiana to emphasize the importance of skills acquisition, work-ready certification and lifelong learning. The objective will be to conduct a promotional campaign directed at a state agency to encourage employees to pursue literacy, job skills training and further education. The second pilot conducted with the Commonwealth of Virginia's educational and community leaders targeted rural populations. The ALC and Patrick County Education Foundation continues to work with state and local leaders to document and expand existing adult learning efforts in the Commonwealth, with special emphasis on adults in rural communities.

The ALC staff developed a database of state-funded financial aid programs in SREB states for the 2003 academic year and conducted an analysis of how well those programs serve adult learners. A report of the findings will be published.

The SREB Go Alliance launched a College Access Marketing Web site in July 2005. This site provides guidance for conducting a college access campaign and is an excellent resource of promotional materials (including some targeted to adult learners).

ALC staff is continuing collaboration with fellow Lumina grantees (including the American Council on Education, the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, and the National Governors Association) to develop a policy-review framework for adult learning. This framework is designed to be utilized by states to help assess state policy and program support for adult learners. Results can be used by states to establish or adjust policies and programs to better help adult learners pursue postsecondary education.

The Adult Learning Campaign Project Team had its first-ever “Design Lab” workshop in March 2004. SREB staff convened a diverse group of experts to formulate the best strategies to accomplish objectives of a two-year project supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education and develop a “road map” for future adult learning objectives. Learn more about the “Design Lab” outcomes and participants.

If you are an adult learner looking for resources, visit SREB’s Electronic Campus Site — a full-service learning portal for adults to get more education to get a job, to keep a job, to get a better job or to earn a degree.

If you are an educator looking for resources, visit the SREB-State Teacher Center Site — a services portal connecting educational agencies and colleges and universities in the 16 SREB states.

SREB, at the direction of the SREB Executive Committee, is working with member states in a Go Alliance to develop and share regional go-to-college campaign materials. To learn more, e-mail Joan Lord, SREB’s director of educational policies, at joan.lord@sreb.org.

 

The Adult Learning Campaign is supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education.

For more information, e-mail Bruce Chaloux at bruce.chaloux@sreb.org.