Adult Education Center to remodel building
John Giffin, john@emporiagazette.com
Friday, October 7, 2011
Located in what is known as the “the old shop building” at 620 Constitution St., the Adult Education Center is in the planning stages of fund-raising for phase two of a remodeling project.
With phase one completed near the beginning of August, phase two will add walls and classrooms to the rear section of the old USD 253 Industrial Arts building.
“We decided that we need to get the building where there are walls and actual classrooms,” said Kelsey Ortiz, adult education director. “We worked real closely with IM Design and looked at how maybe we would like to arrange the floor plan of the building so that we were utilizing the space.”
Since Adult Education has occupied the building, the front and rear sections of the building have been wide open with no permanent barriers to separate groups of students or individual class sessions.
“There was no carpet,” said Ortiz. “This was all concrete. This was all wide open. It was set up for shop for the USD.”
Phase one constructed walls and classrooms as well as waiting and reception areas. This helps the students’ confidentiality rights.
“The front part of the building had no walls whatsoever,” said Ortiz. “We were operating two and sometimes three different classes up in that front area with no walls. We created barriers with book cases and partitions.”
Phase two will build walls and classrooms in the back section of the old shop building.
“Phase two is where we will get the walls up,” said Ortiz. “We have three big classrooms back here...We’ve already put up a private testing area back there but then we want to put in two private tutoring areas.”
The second phase will also allow the Adult Education Center to add smart classrooms with projectors and computers.
The changes are necessary to help the center meet state and federal regulations.
“We are state and federally funded,” said Ortiz. “Part of what determines our funding is pre and post tests on standardized state tests. It is very hard to run a standardized testing environment in a room with no walls.”
The original plan was to make the upgrades in one phase, but lack of funds forced the Adult Education Center to break into two phases.
“The whole project came in once we did the specs with the architect higher than what we thought,” said Ortiz. “We thought in order to at least get the ball rolling if we broke the project into two phases. We had enough money to do phase one. Then we would have to raise the money for phase two.”
Phase two will take approximately $50,000.
“We are working collaboratively with the Tech College on coming up with strategies to raise that money,” said Ortiz. “One of those strategies would be pulling together a group of people that are stake holders on adult education being successful in this community. Those stakeholders might be business leaders, former students, volunteers or people who have worked with the center in some capacity.”
Money for phase one came from the Adult Education Center and a one-time American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act stimulus grant through Flint Hills Technical College.
The Adult Education Center offers several services to adult learners. Along with being a General Educational Development training and testing center, the Adult Education Center also offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and occupational skills classes. Occupational skills classes offer training in everyday skills needed for entry-level employment and to further education.
“That’s for adult learners that come in under secondary levels that still need some work in basic reading, writing, math and technology,” said Ortiz. “With those learners we put a big emphasis on getting job ready and getting and keeping your job. We talk a lot about how you portray yourself to an employer.”
Many of the students that complete an adult education program move on to Flint Hills Tech College or other post-secondary education and have success. Some measured by FHTC.
“There was a very high completion rate of full-time equivalent students in programs of study that were GED holders,” said Ortiz. “...We’re seeing that those students that have their GED are going on to traditional training and completing training.”
Of approximately 65 adult education graduates that have attended FHTC, about 40 have completed a program of study.
midnightlilly (anonymous) says...
Why are they spending all that money remodeling a building they do not even own?
October 8, 2011 at 9:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
"smart classrooms with projectors and computers."
Are you kidding me? To teach everyday basic skills?
What? There are college classrooms that don't have this kind of equipment.
Amazing.
October 9, 2011 at 9 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tourguide (anonymous) says...
I am not familiar with Adult Ed. Class, but if this is for Re Educating the working class that has been laid off maybe they NEED this modern equipment. I have worked beside men that had a skill they learned hands on. But they have no knowledge on how to use a computer. If they were laid off now, they couldn't fill out a job application. It is unfortunate that college classes don't have updated equipment. I think I would blame the school. I just pray our unemployed workers can have the opportunity to apply this NEW EDUCATION...Building ownership ??
October 9, 2011 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
don't know what midnightlilly was talking about.
That building is owned by usd 253.
October 9, 2011 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
orlando (anonymous) says...
I think that is where people can get their GED, probably need to learn basic computer skills also.
October 9, 2011 at 12:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnightlilly (anonymous) says...
Yes it is Corbin, and FHTC rents it, so why are they spending money remodeling a building they don't own, if the district yanks the contract FHTC is out of 50,000.
October 9, 2011 at 11:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
midnightlilly,
That's what I love about the forums. You can learn from them. I was under the mistaken impression that the adult education center was part of USD 253. Thanks for setting me straight.
October 10, 2011 at 6:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )