The Northeast State Adult Education Program has received an $854,000 grant to continue its services for eight Northeast Tennessee counties.
Northeast State’s service area includes Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties.
The program serves adult learners who need help with basic skills and those who lack their high school diploma or equivalency. According to estimates, the eight counties have a population of more than 34,000 who might benefit from adult education services.
Ultimately, the program helps adults to complete a high school equivalency credential, transition to postsecondary education and training, and obtain employment. The program graduated 237 students in 2018-19 and 220 in 2019-20.
December 2019 Adult Education Program graduates.
“We were on pace to crush last year’s numbers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” Fillers said. “Still, considering that we lost about four months of the year, 220 is a pretty good number. We are definitely looking to increase our graduates and student enrollment in the coming year.”
The College’s Adult Education Program received the grant through a competitive process administered by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Northeast State program launched in 2016 when the College landed a similar award to serve the same eight counties.
Debbie Fillers, the College’s district coordinator of Adult Education, oversees the Northeast State program that has one full-time and 11 part-time instructors. Fillers said the grant—an increase of about $35,000 over 2016—would possibly allow the program to add more part-time (including a literacy specialist) and two full-time positions. Fillers said the program is also looking at adding more days of instruction per week.
Currently, Tennessee has 15 adult education service areas, each with a separate entity overseeing the program in its own part of the state.
The Northeast State Adult Education Program has received an $854,000 grant to continue its services for eight Northeast Tennessee counties.
Northeast State’s service area includes Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties.
The program serves adult learners who need help with basic skills and those who lack their high school diploma or equivalency. According to estimates, the eight counties have a population of more than 34,000 who might benefit from adult education services.
Ultimately, the program helps adults to complete a high school equivalency credential, transition to postsecondary education and training, and obtain employment. The program graduated 237 students in 2018-19 and 220 in 2019-20.
“We were on pace to crush last year’s numbers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” Fillers said. “Still, considering that we lost about four months of the year, 220 is a pretty good number. We are definitely looking to increase our graduates and student enrollment in the coming year.”
The College’s Adult Education Program received the grant through a competitive process administered by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Northeast State program launched in 2016 when the College landed a similar award to serve the same eight counties.
Debbie Fillers, the College’s district coordinator of Adult Education, oversees the Northeast State program that has one full-time and 11 part-time instructors. Fillers said the grant—an increase of about $35,000 over 2016—would possibly allow the program to add more part-time (including a literacy specialist) and two full-time positions. Fillers said the program is also looking at adding more days of instruction per week.
Currently, Tennessee has 15 adult education service areas, each with a separate entity overseeing the program in its own part of the state.
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