The Adult Education Landscape in the United States

Adult education programs in the United States provide the foundational skills that adults and youth need in order to pursue further education and career opportunities; ensure physical, socio-emotional, and financial well-being for themselves and their families; and participate fully in community life. Adult education courses and programs can be provided by a variety of organizations, including community colleges, school districts, community centers, libraries, community-based nonprofits, and adult secondary schools. Providers range from formal programs with salaried professional teachers and staff, to community-based organizations that offer basic literacy classes in conjunction with housing, job counseling, and other social supports, to volunteer tutoring taking place through community centers and houses of worship.

In the United States, formal adult education is structured at the state level, with each state, plus the inhabited territories and the District of Columbia, determining how administration and oversight will be handled and how funding will be allocated. For example, the adult education office may be housed within the state’s K-12 education department, or within its community college or technical college division, or within the state labor department’s workforce development agency. Federal support for adult education is primarily provided through the systems established by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

This interactive presentation describes the landscape of adult education at the federal, state, community, and program levels and articulates how adults seeking educational opportunity interact with that landscape. By inviting participants to explore the adult education offerings available in specific communities that are meaningful to them, the presentation encourages them to connect with adult education programs and adult learners in their own communities.

All of Deborah Kennedy’s presentations use an interactive approach that engages participants in connecting new knowledge and skills to their own contexts. Presentations are one hour in length and can take place in face-to-face, online, or hybrid formats.