Lawrence, MA (September 17, 2024) ­– Adult Education and Family Literacy Week started on a high note at Northern Essex Community College, thanks to an inspiring nighttime celebration and a generous pledge from the Mayor of Lawrence.

NECC’s Center for Adult Education (CAE) organized the celebration on the rooftop patio of the El Hefni Building in Lawrence Tuesday night. It was the first such celebration the college has held to honor National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. More than 50 CAE students and their families, along with college faculty and staff and state and local leaders gathered to raise awareness about the crucial role of adult education in local communities and to celebrate the creation of a chapter of the Adult Education Honor Society at Northern Essex.

Jaqueline Lynch and Mayor DePeña, Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Office

“Your hard work and dedication are amazing,” CAE Executive Director Jacqueline Lynch told the students in the audience. “You’re the reason we’re here and we’re proud of all you’ve done and all you will do in the future.”

The CAE offers free personal, professional, and academic developmental programs, such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses and high school equivalency degrees.

“In Massachusetts, we have 15,000 students in programs like this. But we have 20,000 more on waitlists,” shared Derek Kalchbrenner, program specialist from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The department provides $750,000 across three grants to keep the programs tuition-free.

About 500 people are currently on the wait list for NECC’s programs. Last year, when Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña learned that about half of those were his constituents, he pledged $100,000 to create more classes. That funding allowed 55 people to move off the wait list and into classes last fall, and another 55 in the spring. At Tuesday’s celebration, he pledged to continue that support.

“I’m making a promise that my administration will continue to support this program next year,” he said. “Education is the most important key, it will open many other doors.”

NECC student Allen Cardena,  Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s Office

NECC Engineering student Allen Cardena reinforced the mayor’s message by sharing the doors adult education opened for him. He came to the United States from the Dominican Republic when he was 19 years old. His sister was a student at Northern Essex and she helped him enroll in CAE ESOL classes.

“I didn’t know any English. I scored very low on the first test and they put me in Level 1,” remembered Cardena.

With hard work and consistent practice, Cardena advanced to Level 5 ESOL classes by the end of the year. Following that, he enrolled in the Transition to College class and then earned certifications in accounting and Quickbooks through the MassSTEP program. After these accomplishments, Cardena said he finally felt confident and ready to enroll in a degree program this fall.

“I’m studying engineering. I am pursuing my passion. I want to eventually transfer to UMass Lowell and study civil engineering. Thanks to CAE, I was able to push past my limitations.”

The evening also included the unveiling of the Adult Education National Honor Society banner and a reading of the charter. CAE teachers will nominate students to the honor society starting this spring.

To learn more about the CAE, please visit the webpage.