SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE OFFERS FREE ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES

The Adult Education program is in full swing at South Suburban College and has already graduated 60 students with their high school equivalencies this school year. The program offers a variety of courses for adults seeking a high school diploma or GED, adults with skill levels below a ninth-grade level, and English as a Second Language classes.
The Adult Education program is in full swing at South Suburban College and has already graduated 60 students with their high school equivalencies this school year. The program offers a variety of courses for adults seeking a high school diploma or GED, adults with skill levels below a ninth-grade level, and English as a Second Language classes.

South Suburban College Offers Free Adult Education Classes

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

The Adult Education program is in full swing at South Suburban College and has already graduated 60 students with their high school equivalencies this school year. The program offers a variety of courses for adults seeking a high school diploma or GED, adults with skill levels below ninth-grade, and English as a Second Language classes.

South Suburban College is a community college in Chicago’s south suburbs. The main campus is located in South Holland and there is a second campus in Oak Forest. Both campuses offer the Adult Education Classes classes.

“The Adult Education program at SSC is a grant-funded initiative that serves Illinois adults who are basic skills deficient (grade level equivalency 0.0- 8.9), lacking a high school diploma, Non-native speakers of English. The people who benefit from our Adult Education program are the residents of South Suburban College District 510,” said Matthew Beasland, dean of the adult education program at South Suburban College.

There are several courses offered within the Adult Education program. The Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses are for students whose skill levels are below a ninth-grade level. Students in the ABE program work to improve their reading, writing, and math skills, according to the press release from SSC.

After that, students can choose to enter the High School Equivalency (HSE/GED) program where they develop the necessary skills to pass the High School Equivalency or GED exams. The HSE program includes studying reasoning through language arts, social studies, science, mathematics, and the US and Illinois Constitutions, according to the press release from SSC.

The third component of the Adult Education Program is the English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. These courses focus on improving English skills helping beginners to those studying more advanced levels.

“Our programs serve as an opportunity for our residents to obtain valuable educational and job skills. We have many people that attend our program so they can help their children with their homework, and many of our English language learners are in the program so they can be active participants in their children’s education. We have many participants that come through our program that want to attend college, and we give them the skills to be successful in the college environment,” said Beasland.

The Adult Education classes are available free of charge to residents of the South Suburban College District 510 which stretches east from S. Harlem Ave. to the Indiana state line in-between 139th St. and 183rd. The boundary is not a perfect rectangle, and to see if you are within the district, visit www.ssc.edu/admissions-registration/residency.

“We are able to provide these services for free through an Illinois Community College Board grant. These funds allow us to provide free Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language classes for free to all of our constituents throughout Community College District 510,” said Beasland.

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