In today’s world, the need for an educated citizenry and workforce cannot discriminate according to age. Once called “non-traditional” students, adult learners now play an increasingly important role in our civic and economic prosperity. 

Learning doesn’t stop at a certain age and that, in today’s world, the route to a desired level of educational achievement is different for everyone. Through our previous successful work, we know that learners of all ages can persist through higher education.  We also know that in the 21^st century, there is an ever-increasing need for everyone to continue to learn and improve their skills.

 Questions we aim to investigate through our Adult Learning initiative include:

• What can be done to remove barriers to varied, continued education for adult learners?
• How can we create an education continuum where the attainment of skills and knowledge commensurate with postsecondary education is the new norm?
• What changes must be made in policy, practice, and public understanding to allow greater access to high-quality learning opportunities so that all New England adult learners achieve the skills and knowledge necessary for success?

 Investments made through the Foundation’s Adult Learning initiative currently focus on expanding the variety and quality of educational opportunities for adult learners.  Efforts include working toward the institutionalization of ABE-College transition programs across New England and the reconsideration of some basic assumptions about how we deliver postsecondary opportunities to adults and what standards drive these opportunities.

The Foundation also supports strategies that aim to enhance public understanding of the need for improved and varied educational opportunities for adults.

 For information on projected 2008 funding opportunities in Adult Learning and our other initiative areas, visit the Guidelines page.