Students celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

INA, Ill. (Sept. 22, 2014) - Aspiring graduates in Rend Lake College’s Adult Education and Family Literacy program are celebrating this week as a part of a nationwide event to highlight student success and increase awareness of the many different services provided by the program.

Students in the RLC program take part in newly redesigned courses called High School Equivalency (HSE) classes, formerly known as GED classes, to prepare them to take the new 2014 GED test. HSE classes are eight weeks long and help students improve in language arts, math, science, social studies, computer skills, and problem solving.

But it’s not always the traditional students who take part in the program. Lendora Windfield of Mt. Vernon is one such student who is taking some HSE classes as a way to recover from a recent medial emergency.

“The Adult Ed classes are helping me with reading and writing after I had a stroke. I’ve been here five months and I know it’s helping me,” said Windfield. “These instructors are real nice and I know I’ve learned a lot already. I couldn’t even read my mail or write my name after my stroke, so it’s helped me there. I want to let people know about this program and all the different things it can do to help you.”

HSE students Jonathon Jennings, LEFT, and Nichole Hammonds, RIGHT, both of Benton, take a break during a special workshop last week at the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon. The workshop focused on the positive outcomes of eating a healthy breakfast. Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

Students in the HSE classes are pre-tested and placed into one of three smaller sections to help ensure success in the program. These sections are HSE Plus, HSE Test Prep, and HSE Success. Some students, like Amber Thorpe of Zeigler, are placed in classes that will also prepare them for college after they obtain their GED.

“Adult Education is a very encouraging program to be a part of. I didn’t think college was an option for me before because I was homeschooled. I didn’t have the confidence in myself to be able to do it,” said Thorpe. “Since then, I’ve learned that it’s not failure until you quit trying, and I’m not quitting. I have a little math to work on, and then I’ll be taking my test to get my GED. It’s been a really good experience.”

Morning HSE classes mean a fresh start for the day for students, FROM LEFT, Heather Powell of Benton, Amber Thorpe of Zeigler, Shawna Millikan of Benton, and Taylor Weedon of Benton. These students also attended the workshop at the RLC MarketPlace about breakfast habits. Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

Among the biggest changes to the 2014 GED test are options to take and pay for one test at a time, a new website to serve as a one-stop resource and registration portal for students, immediate notification of test results, and the option to choose a convenient test site.

In the last year, RLC enrolled 147 students to start working toward their GED in the new HSE classes, with 29 already receiving their certificates. Christina Hutcheson, Director of Adult Education and Family Literacy, said the new classes are just one change of many designed to assist students with improving on their skills.

“The Adult Education Program is updating the materials, computers, and providing training for instructors and staff to better prepare our students for the test. The advantage to this test is that you can take one subject at a time, therefore easing the financial burden,” said Hutcheson. “We want to help our students start on the road to getting an education. A GED certificate is not the end of that road; it is only the beginning of their journey.”

RLC’s HSE program is funded by the federal and state governments, making it free for students age 16 and up who are not in school and do not have a high school diploma. The Adult Education and Literacy Program also offers tuition waivers for students who meet specific criteria and who want to continue their education at RLC for up to 48 credit hours.

To learn more about the Adult Education and Family Literacy program, call 618-437-5321, Ext. 1241, or email adulted@rlc.edu. Classes begin every eight weeks. More information regarding the new GED test can be found online at www.gedtestingservice.com.