ARIN’s Adult Literacy Coordinator Tammy Blumling takes a call about services available to help adults get their diploma.
As summer comes to an end, the focus turns to ‘Back to School’ preparations. Students this year not only include kids, but also adults.
Tammy Blumling is an Adult Literacy Coordinator for ARIN’s Center for Education. She said her goal is to let the people of Armstrong County know ARIN is available to service adults.
“We’re trying to reach out to Armstrong (County adults) and expand servicing the people because the issues here in Armstrong is (it’s) so rural. So a lot of it has to do with transportation and consistency. The State would like to see us run classes, but that is very challenging in a rural (area) because they don’t always come. We have to be very adaptable. ”
ARIN offers orientation sessions on the 2nd & 4th Monday of each month at the local PA Career Link in Rayburn Township. Staff is available to provide information about resources to assist the adult learner on the start of furthering their education.
ARIN offers tutoring to prepare for testing to get an adult diploma. Tests assess Language Art, Reading and Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies knowledge. A passing score results in a Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma (CSSD).
Depending on the type of test, prep classes are available at ARIN’s Center for Education on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, or on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Armstrong Center for Community Learning (ACCL) located in the West Hills Industrial Park.
Thanks to the collaborative effort of some local service providers, a new option for those preparing to study for their adult diploma will be launched on August. 14. According to Blumling, this program is unique to Armstrong County and will offer a blended approach to working with students by integrating both traditional classroom lecture and web-based, distance learning strategies. Scheduled to occur on Mondays and Wednesday at the ACCL, Blumling feels that the additional site and instructor will enable ARIN to offer greater flexibility for meeting the differing learning and scheduling needs of students.
“And, what’s neat about the ACCL, we collaborate with that agency and they give the actual test. For some students, that even helps them to know that where they’re taking class is where they will take the test,” she said.
ARIN is also able to assess adult students to determine functional educational levels and help prepare them for standardized testing.
Blumling noted that students often develop valuable soft skills (integrity, work ethic, dependability, communication, teamwork) and technology-related skills through the incidental learning that occurs as part of classroom activities and interaction with other students agency staff, and volunteer tutors.
The services are funded by grants through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and therefore are free to qualified Armstrong County residents. While there is no direct charge for the assessment, instruction, or class materials, Blumling said it cost you your time.
“I always say the cost is your time and commitment because the challenge is sometimes when we think something is free, they’re not as committed,” she said.
Agency staff is also able to work with other local service providers to overcome common challenges such as transportation, internet access, work/childcare schedules etc. to support student success.
More information about services or to learn about becoming a volunteer tutor is available on-line at www.iu28.org or by calling ARIN IU28 at 724.463.5300, extension 2329.