Adult education opportunities for residents are available thanks to a recent initiative taken up by Northeast State Community College.
The college recently announced that after July 1, that Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties would use various campuses as bases for operation. Northeast State Community College was awarded a $798,000 grant by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) to coordinate the endeavor. The region of counties mentioned qualified under the 1st District discussed by TDLWD.
Adult education services is nothing new to Karla Prudhomme, who doubles as the Economic Development and Tourism Director in Johnson County, and works within that county and Carter to oversee the adult educational opportunities.
“Everything is up and running,” Prudhomme told the Elizabethton Star Thursday. “Northeast State had the chance to oversee the adult education and is now over it in the region.”
While predominantly known as getting a ‘GED’, students that take part in opportunities in Mountain City and Carter County will be offered the chance to get their High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.
Adults who are over the age of 17 years old, or granted with an exception, that are lacking a high school diploma and no longer under compulsory are eligible for the program.
Students will be assessed to determine their level of education and provided instruction to delve into different skills, including math, science, social studies, reading, writing and employability.
It wasn’t an easy transition in Mountain City, Prudhomme added, but a facility has been created to house the students that are looking to continue their learning.
“We used to use the old Shoun Elementary school facility for past 15 years out of modulars,” Prudhomme said. “Now we have a new location.”
The Mountain City facility to work on an HSE is located on 372 Coal Springs Road, near the Department of Human Services building. Prudhomme went on to credit the work by individuals that helped construct the inside of the building.
In Carter County, Prudhomme said citizens will be able to take adult education classes out of the Northeast State Community College of Elizabethton campus.
Classes are currently underway and registration is still available. Anyone interested is encouraged to visit either of the facilities, check the northeaststate.edu website or call 1-844-637-5697, which is the toll free number the college is using to navigate appointments and registration.