Transforming Their Lives: Single Mothers Find Passion for Education Through Postsecondary Programs
How two programs for single mothers help them achieve a bachelor's degree and more. Read more.

Related Event: The Women Administrators in Higher Education (WAHE) will hold its second annual conference, Celebrating 35 Years of Advancing Women in Higher Education, in September 2009. More details.

From GED® Credential to College Degree
More than 60 percent of General Educational Development (GED) test-takers say they intend to further their education beyond the GED program. Yet only 27 percent of nationwide GED credential earners have postsecondary experience compared with 63 percent of adults with high school diplomas. "Bridge" programs aim to ease these adult learners' transition to postsecondary education. In Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, The Joyce Foundation Shifting Gears initiative links adult education, workforce training, and higher education systems to create postsecondary pathways for low-income working adults. Illinois, for example, has set up 10 pilot bridge programs in community colleges across the state to identify policy barriers and test new ideas. Meanwhile, the GED Bridge Programs at LaGuardia Community College (LGCC) provide participants with GED test preparation through specialized curricula in business or health careers. Since April 2007, 70 percent of LGCC Bridge Program students have earned their GED credential; half of those students have enrolled in certificate or associate programs, or advanced in their careers.

For more articles on GED transitions to higher education, visit the CenterPoint Archives.

Older Workers Go Online for Employment
According to a 2008 Pew Internet & American Life survey, 72 percent of adults age 50 to 64, and 41 percent of adults age 65 and older use the internet. As an increasing number of older adults look to remain in or return to the workforce, online initiatives to prepare them for new careers are expanding as well. AARP, for example, offers a self-guided online course for older job seekers on topics including resume writing, interviewing, personal skills assessment, and search strategies. The course, Making Age an Asset in Your Job Search, is being piloted by the association in collaboration with the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS), and ed2go, an online adult education provider. Less tech-savvy students can enroll in a face-to-face orientation on a KCTCS campus to become familiar with online learning before starting the course. Students also are given free access to AARP's WorkSearch, an online resource to help them assess their skills and find related training and job opportunities.

For more promising practices in online education for adult learners, visit First Stop, ACE's online clearinghouse for lifelong learning policies and practices.