By Carol Davis

New Ulm Public Schools

Community Education Coordinator

What is Community Education?

Community Education is an opportunity for local citizens and community schools, agencies and institutions to become active partners in addressing education and community concerns. Community Education brings community members together to identify and link community needs and resources in a manner that helps people to help themselves raise the quality of life in their communities.

Community Education began in 1969 when Governor Levander proposed to keep the schools open after regular schools hours, nights and weekends, and became know as “Lighted Schoolhouse Legislation”. Minnesota started with 12 schools and today 342 Minnesota School Districts have Community Education programs.

Community Education provides quality programs to learners of all ages and abilities: infants, and preschoolers, school-aged children, adults and seniors. Programs include: general community education classes for adults, school aged child care, GED/ABE (General Education Development/ Adult Basic Education), Youth Leadership and Development, after school enrichment, and Early Childhood Family Education (parent/child classes, special events, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, School Readiness, Early Childhood Screening, and Learning Together).

What’s new in Community Education

Beginning January 1, 2014 GED tests are now all computer based. Classes are held at the Workforce Center on Mondays and Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Computer Skills classes are also offered at the Workforce Center. For more information on earning your GED or the computer classes, call 507-354-6750.

We also have an intern working on her Community Education director’s license. She has been working on several projects, one of which is a Community Assessment Survey. Please watch for further information on this. She has also setup a facebook page for Community Education. Please ‘like’ us!

We have also collaborated with Park and Recreation to have our activities for summer listed in one brochure. The brochure will be out on Sunday, April 13 with registration at Vogel Arena on Monday, April 21.

How can you get involved?

You can apply to become a member of the Community Education Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is responsible for attending the advisory council meetings, program evaluation, discussing/promoting community education activities/classes. Meetings are held four times a year.

You can become an instructor. Do you have a talent you would like to share? Come take a class!

You can become a volunteer in our schools.

If you have questions, please contact Carol in the Community Education Office at 507-359-8561 or email cdavis@newulm.k12.mn.us