Working with Nontraditional Adult Learners.

These are unprecedented times. Nontraditional adult learners, particularly low- and moderate-income individuals susceptible to furloughs and unemployment during an economic recession, have been hard hit by this pandemic. When JumpStart to Success launched, we never imagined we would be facing the challenges we are as people struggle to put food on the table and deal with housing insecurity, among many other obstacles to learning.

Our team had to pivot almost immediately to turn these challenges to opportunities. The opportunity would be to capitalize on the switch to online learning, especially among hard-to-reach communities, as it eliminates commute time and transportation obstacles. Another would be to engage displaced learners impacted by the pandemic that are now thinking of or have the time to entertain the idea of “going back to school.” What we found is that more often than not, the folks we have engaged need to start with high school completion and so we responded with a GED preparation course coupled with math tutoring, based on need.

We continue to meet people where they are by offering GED instruction, success coaching and referrals to partners and educational programs that will lead to postsecondary enrollment and completion. Receiving institutions such as Valencia College, Orange Technical College and UCF Continuing Ed work hand in hand with our coaches to ensure a seamless transition into one of their programs. We also work with the Central Florida Urban League, CareerSource Central Florida and the City of Orlando to ensure that learners are accessing all the scholarship dollars and student support services available in our region.

This is a critical time to reach vulnerable low wage workers so that they equip themselves with the tools for higher wages and stronger careers. Economic and social mobility among nontraditional adult learners is not only vital for quality of life but also for a stronger economy across the region and to help accomplish broader goals around equity for communities of color.