Morton College’s Adult Education Department plans on using a $28,000 grant to provide technology services in assisting English as a Second Language and High School Equivalency students affected by the pandemic reduce barriers to remote learning.
Funding came from the federal CURES Act through a partnership with the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Department of Human Services. Morton College was one of 61 Adult Education providers in the state to receive funding.
“We continue to be committed to serving our students,” said Claudia Mosqueda, Morton College’s Associate Dean of Adult and Career Technical Education. “This grant provides us with additional resources to close the loops and overcome obstacles so our classes continue to run smoothly and our students succeed.”
While all Adult Education programming has been offered in a remote format since March, Morton College helps bridge any sort of a digital divide by loaning computer equipment to students in the program.
The grant helps Morton College expand the number of students able to access the online platforms used in the ABE/ASE and ESL classes, according to Mosqueda.
“These online instruction platforms have been essential assets in the progress of the students using them,” Mosqueda stated. “It allows our program to expand the use of these platforms.”
To assist instructors, Mosqueda announced grant funds would go toward purchasing tablets and a subscription to an application that will facilitate communication.
“Given the importance of staying connected during remote learning, this application will be used for a base of communicating with their students,” Mosqueda explained.
“The Adult Education staff consistently work very hard to acquire available grants, and our track record is quite high,” added Laurie Cashman, Morton College’s Dean of Adult and Career Technical Education. “This helps us continue to market our programs to the community and increase enrollment.”
For more information about Adult Education classes offered at Morton College, contact AdultEd@Morton.edu