SITE REPORT Page 1

Site Report

Amanda Sherman

Post University
SITE REPORT Page 2

The most impressive adult education program in the southern Connecticut region is the ERACE

program, East Shore Region Adult & Continuing Education. With over 240 enrichment classes,

the diversity in subject matter as well as skill set is remarkable. Courses are broken down into

16 categories: academic courses, arts and crafts, business and investment, career certificate

programs, health and wellness, home and garden, computer application, in the kitchen, language,

mind and spirit, music and dance, personal development, pets, travel and recreation and reading

and writing workshops. Within these categories courses range from juggling to residential

building code, learning tarot to adult CPR. The courses run from essential life skills to fun and

creative. The program serves the towns of Branford, Clinton, Guilford, Madison and North

Branford, CT, and most of the course offerings take place at Branford High School, located at

185 East Main St. Branford, CT. The staff of ERACE consists of a director, program directors,

guidance counselors, professors, office managers and registrars.

One way adult learning theory can be seen in these program is through the concept of

learning being problem-centered rather than content oriented (Morland, 2003). Some of the

academic courses are curriculum based, for example English as a second language or SAT prep,

but most of the offerings are about overcoming a challenge. There are many informational

courses on how to use apple products such as iphones or ipads, there are various courses on

parenting with concentrations in self-esteem, addiction, emotional intimacy, same sex

relationships and conflicted child sexuality. Most of the courses seem to center around problem-

solving. Taking an issue in the life of an adult and not providing a solution, but providing them

with the resources to then come to their own conclusions. In the classroom adults learn best

when they are solving problems, not presented with curriculum. This is taking that concept and
SITE REPORT Page 3

integrating it into topics that adults are facing in their everyday lives. The problems they are

solving are even more meaningful because they are relevant to their personal story.

A second principle in adult learning theory which is applied to the ERACE program is

that adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their jobs or

personal lives (Morland, 2003, p2). The staff has done a phenomenal job of providing such

variety in their adult education offerings that there is relevance to adults of all age ranges and

from all different backgrounds. There are child and infant CRP courses for young parents or

teens looking to become babysitters. There are Long-term care planning and asset protection

courses along with Retirement What you need to know before making other decisions for

older individuals in the community with questions about their financial future (www.erace-

adulted.org, 2013-2016). The concern over relevance in the everyday life of an adult was clear

with curriculum construction. There is a balance between recreational courses and informational

courses, both of which are needed in the lives of adults.

I chose this particular site because of the variety and diversity in course offerings. I feel

that the ERACE program takes into account not only recreational and vocational needs of the

adult community, but also the safety and environmental concerns of the population intended.

This whole life approach I found very appealing and refreshing while conducting my research.

One other notable find during my research was that the topics of study within adult education

programs seemed to be entirely determined by the socioeconomic state of the area served.

Towns or cities with a higher gross income per household seemed to focus their adult education

courses on day trips to the city or boating excursions on the Housatonic. While the lower income

districts would focus primarily on high school equivalency and English as a second language.

The ERACE program struck me as appealing because it not only served the needs of a
SITE REPORT Page 4

population looking to advance their careers and better their financial situation, but also of the

recreational and leisure set.

The area which I feel is particularly weak in relation to adult learning theory is regarding

Levinsons age graded model. Levinson states that people evolve through an orderly sequence

of stable and transitional periods that correlate with chronological age (Merriam, Baumgartner,

& Caffarella, 2007, p307). These transitional period or times of turmoil are the points in life

which community programs and education are needed the most. Examples of these life changing

experiences are marriage and family, occupation, friendships, religion, ethnicity and community

(Merriam, et. al., 2007). Occupation can have the most traumatic effects on a persons sense of

stability and safety. To lose the ability to provide for ones family and the fear which

accompanies that event can be quite impactful. Currently, the only course considered to be

career and certificate programs are OSHA General Industry 30 hour training, and Professional

Bartending Certification. There are also offerings on bookkeeping and starting a small business,

which can be considered professional development. But it may be a missed opportunity not to

serve the members of the community which may be in a time of crisis occupationally if they do

not expand this sector.

Because this program serves a limited community, the process for expanding the program

offerings would not need to be elaborate. A survey can be conducted of active members of the

existing community of what career related courses they believe would be beneficial to the

program. A pilot can be run of three different courses to start based on the information gained

from the survey. The teaching staff can be recruited from successful leaders within the

community in these chosen career fields. For example a course on obtaining a real-estate license

can be taught by a successful local realtor. Career counseling services are already offered
SITE REPORT Page 5

through the English as a second language program, these services can also be expanded to the

participants in career-centered courses to increase chances of successful employment.

This change in curriculum would demonstrate the programs commitment to the

community. It may also open up opportunities for grant funding for workforce development

programs. The relief in funding could allow for further development of courses or even

scholarship programs for eligible families. The ultimate goal of expanding these programs

would be to positively benefit the community, lower the unemployment rate and aid families in

times of need. As Levinson stated, adults go through periods of stability and transition

(Merriam, et. al. 2007). Adults and families that are going through periods of transition and

struggle benefit greatly from community resources designed to assist them in resolving their

conflict and attaining stability.

The adult development theory which I feel best represents the ERACE program is Baltes

integrative perspective. He starts by hypothesizing on the biological and environmental forces

that influence development, then breaks his theory down even further into age graded influences

(forces normally correlated with age), normative history-graded influences (events that are

experiences by one age group of people), and non-normative influences (factors significant to

one particular person) (Merriam, et.al. 2007).

An example of an age-graded program would be the PSAT & SAT Review offered at the

North Branford High School location. The course is offered to 11th and 12th grade students and

costs $383.00. The course features test-taking skills, vocabulary development, advanced math

review, shortcut math, reading interpretation, speed reading improvement techniquest, essay

writing, grammar skills and tip sheets (www.erace-adulted.org, 2013-2016). Planning for a

college career can bring a great deal of stress into the lives of young adults as well as their
SITE REPORT Page 6

families. Concerns over finding scholarships and getting into the best schools possible can be

heavily determined on SAT scores, putting added pressure to young students. Taking a prep-

class can give them the confidence to perform at the best of their ability and relieve some of the

test anxiety they may feel.

In the ERACE program an example of a normative history-graded program would be the

Intro to the iPhone A comprehensive introduction (erace-adulted.org, 2013-2016). The

course covers Facetime, conference calling and call blocking the course also touches on the

apple store and how to purchase applications, the cost of the program is $75 (www.erace-

adulted.org, 2013-2016). This course would be considered history-graded because the iPhone is

obviously a newer technology which has become popular over recent years. Struggling to

navigate an iPhone was not an issue 30 years ago, and overcoming obstacles in technology

proficiency was not a part of adult development in the past. It is hard to tell whether in the future

the iPhone will still be relevant or not, but for now, understanding how to effectively use the

technology is incredibly useful in todays world.

Finally an example of a course addressing a non-normative influence would be Parenting

Workshop 1: Conflicted Child Sexuality, this course is offered at the Clinton location and the

cost is $35 (erace-adulted.org, 2013-2016). The course covers a childs development and

behavior; sexuality, emotional intimacy, self-esteem, addiction, same sex relationships and topics

such as problem solving with young children, listening skills, discipline, and nurturing emotional

and social development (erace-adulted.org, 2013-2016). This course would be considered to

address non-normative development issues because issues of conflicted child sexuality are not

something that is the typical or mainstream issue for most parents or children to deal with.
SITE REPORT Page 7

Social and developmental issues do not arise from social or environmental pressures, but from

internal and person-specific struggles.

It is apparent that while constructing curriculum the staff at the ERACE program took

into account many different theories of adult development, addressed environmental factors,

person-specific factors and history graded factors. There is truly a whole life approach to the

course study, attempting to enact positive change in personal, vocational, academic, family and

domestic arenas. Many of the courses are completed within one two months and are offered at

a reasonably low cost. Making the courses cost and time effective. Changes and conflict are

always present as adults age and develop. Making available community resources which adults

in the community can utilize gives them the ability to cope with obstacles and hindrances to their

development. Passing through these phases of change and turmoil and reaching a state of

stability allow adults to reach greater stages of development.

SITE REPORT Page 8

References

Merriam, S.B., Caffarella, R.S., & Baumgartner, L.M. (2007). Learning in Adulthood, a comprehensive

guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Morland, D. V. (2003). How to teach adult learners. ROI (Return on Investment) Learning

Services Professional Guidelines Services. Downlinked from an andragogy google search.

www.erace-adulted.org. (2013-2016). East Shore Region Adult & Continuing Education.

Retrieved October 9, 2016 from: https://www.erace-adulted.org/About_Us/