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Great things take a long time. Junot Diaz spent 10 years crafting his Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Leonardo da Vinci needed 12 years, according to some sources, to perfect the Mona Lisa. 17 years piled up for the completion of the Three Gorges Dam in China—the world’s largest. But how long does it take to provide thousands with the education and literacy needed to overcome adversity?
If the success of the Durango Adult Education Center is any indicator, the answer is 30 years and counting!
2017 marks the 30th anniversary for our organization. For the last three decades, we have played a crucial role in improving the lives of our community’s most vulnerable populations and those who seek an alternative pathway to success. As the community needs have shifted, so have our programs and services.
For example, the DAEC will teach high school equivalency preparation classes at the La Plata County Jail beginning Feb 1. There, we’ll administer the paper-based HiSET exams to demonstrate high school equivalency. Studies have indicated that recidivism is reduced once an individual earns a high school equivalency diploma.
Additionally, by forging a strong collaborative partnership with Housing Solutions of the Southwest, we have been able to provide housing for at-risk students while they complete their education and transition into livable-wage careers.
As time goes on, we remain relevant by integrating technology into our programs, being responsive to parents who need onsite childcare while completing their education, and we’ve adapted our teaching approach as the knowledge needed has shifted with the changing employment landscape. Just imagine what the DAEC will accomplish in the next 30 years!
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2017 Spellabration
Teams needed: only two spaces left!
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