Community Ed report shows good turnout

Staff

Published Tuesday, January 31, 2006

By Kari Lucin, Tribune Staff Writer

Community Education's annual report, given by director Heidi Cunningham, shows that their enrichment programs alone reached 4000 more people in 2004-2005 than in 2003-2004. Costs per participant have nearly been cut in half as well, from $25.38 to $1.79.

“We've been very careful with what we're doing as far as paying the instructor, and (having) class minimums,” said Cunningham.

Community Education gave 319 GED tests to 63 individuals in the 2004-2005 fiscal year, 34 of whom earned their GED diploma.

Because Community Ed uses the school facilities outside of school hours, it helps ensure that the school district gets the most out of their buildings. The high school, with its auditorium, gyms, and cafeteria, got used the most (53 percent of hours outside school time). Brookside was frequented for its climbing wall, and Lakeview Elementary hosted summer programs.

Community Ed's Early Childhood Family Education programs had 4,997 participants, including parents and children up to age four, and a whopping 68 percent of the eligible population (as taken by the census) were served. This portion of the Community Ed program includes preschool and the Discovery Place, for kids aged three to five, introducing them to Albert Lea schools and preparing them for kindergarten. It also helps keep parents involved.

Brookside's rock gym got utilized a lot more in the 2004-2005 fiscal year than in the previous year, as its publicity became more widespread. The gym generated $7,208 of revenue from private groups alone, compared to $2,351 from the year before.

Adult Basic Education programs served 306 adults, helping them surmount the barriers of work schedules, low incomes, transportation, and family demands to learn English or learn how to read. Parents even get help with parenting skills through ABE, so that they can help their children be ready for school.

“I think the biggest thing is for our community members, they understand that lifelong learning has so many benefits. It's not only the knowledge you receive from what you learn, but many times there's the social aspect to it as well, it's trying to be the best you can be, and we just hope that people see that, and want to help themselves, and be a part of their community, and they can do that as a part of Community Ed in many different ways,” said Cunningham.

(Contact Kari Lucin at kari.lucin@albertleatribune.com or 379-3434.)

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