Delgado Adult Education Awarded Grant to Provide Enrollment Coaching

May 20, 2020

Delgado Community College’s Adult Education Program has received a one-year, $10,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The funding will be used to better support students enrolling in adult education classes for the first time. 

Student Services Coordinator Nia Davis says the goal is to adapt program resources to meet the unique needs of each adult learner: “Our program serves a diverse group of students who are returning to school with different goals and unique needs. Through our new intake coaching strategy, our goal is to pair each student with a success coach who can really get to know each student and help them navigate the process of returning to school.”

The proposal was developed in response to a trend the team identified during its quarterly data review process. Program Effectiveness Coordinator Joey Lehrman explains: “We found students are often successful in making academic progress once they began classes. But we saw that some students register online and then are unfortunately not able to fully finish all intake requirements to get started with their first class.”

Interim Program Director Evan Long adds: “We saw that the intake process was a challenge for some learners, so we started to ask what we might do to better support prospective students through the registration and orientation process.”

In addition to the dedicated intake support, the program recently launched a full online orientation that enables students to get started with the program anytime and anywhere. This allows students to complete some of the intake requirements without needing to visit a campus, which can be a barrier for adult learners with busy family schedules.

Todd Basos, Dollar General Literacy Foundation board member says: “During these extraordinary times, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to support communities’ literacy and educational advancements through funds that will impact thousands of students across the country. We are proud to support the meaningful and impactful work that each of today’s recipients conducts. and we support their ongoing efforts to help individuals improve their lives through literacy and education.”

Adult students in the Greater New Orleans area can register for the free programming any time by visiting www.dcc.edu/go/adult-ed. After completing the online intake form, students will be contacted with more information, including how to connect with a coach and how to start the online orientation modules.

About the Delgado Adult Education Program

The Adult Education Program at Delgado Community College is a free program available to any adult in the Greater New Orleans area looking to build academic and professional skills. 

Courses are available in four pathways:

• College and Career Readiness (CCR) for any student pursuing a high school equivalency diploma and/or college and career pathway programs.
• English Language Learners (ELL) for non-native English speakers studying to build reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
• Accelerated Career Education (ACE) that enables students to enroll in technical courses alongside adult basic education coursework. Students earn industry-based credentials while studying to earn a high school equivalency diploma.
• Community Education courses are also available in computer basics, financial literacy, college readiness, and more.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $182 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 11 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

For more information and to apply online, visit www.dcc.edu/go/adult-ed.

 

Delgado Community College will celebrate 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!” www.dcc.edu