Metro North ABE Links Newsletter, Spring 2020 | Page 4

Metro North ABE
Adult Basic Education
(ABE) is a free program
that helps adults develop
basic reading, writing,
math and English skills
to achieve their goals
and thrive in their
community. Metro North
ABE is a partnership
between eight school
districts in the north
metro area that provides
a range of classes, now
online and with various
schedules to meet
students’ needs. For
more information got to
www.metronorthabe.org
NEWS FROM OUR SITES
Our mission: To inspire
and challenge all
learners to reach their
full potential. In a safe,
supportive environment
we will teach the skills
needed to succeed as
responsible citizens in
our changing world.
Our vision: To provide
programs that develop
the skills needed by
individuals to achieve
their goals.
Metro North ABE
Contact information:
Anoka:
Patrick Hobot
763-433-4200
Blaine:
Molly Liberto
763-433-4200
Columbia Heights/Fridley
and Brooklyn Center:
Kathleen Moriarty
763-706-3833
Centennial:
Cori Sendle
763-433-4200
Elk River:
Pam Moriarity
763-241-3400 ext. 5525
St. Francis:
Tammi Bernard
763-753-7190
Anoka
Data shows that roughly
18 percent of high school
graduates entering college
next fall and up to 40 percent
of non-traditional learners
entering college may need
developmental (remedial)
skills classes to be ready
for college-level courses.
Students in developmental
education programming at a
college are significantly less
likely to complete their entire
program and earn a degree
or certificate.
With the likelihood of a larger
number of people looking
to build their skills to return
to the workforce after this
crisis passes, the Anoka sites
are busy offering online and
hybrid specialized courses
such as Math for Test Prep,
Reading Fundamentals, and
the TEAS test prep series
that are designed to help
students be well prepared for
their next steps and to avoid
costly developmental-level
courses at the colleges. We
have designed very strong,
collaborative partnerships
with Anoka-Ramsey
Community College and
Anoka Technical College
to achieve this mutually
desirable goal.
Blaine
Starting in January, teachers
at Blaine Learning Lab
integrated the 2020 Census
into lesson plans, using the
role of the census in civics
activities, from its origin in
the constitution to voting
today. Teachers used graphs
of population change in math
lessons, read current event
articles on the politics of the
census, and calculated the
benefit for each complete
census: $28,000 per person.
Even with teachers moving
from classroom teaching to
distance learning, teachers
continued to support
students as they received
their census form in the
mail. Teachers contacted
all students during distance
learning preparation and
continued to use the
important activity of being
counted to help each student
continue to learn.
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center Adult
Education partnered with
the Joint Community Police
Partnership (JCPP) to bring
Community Academy
classes to our adult learners
beginning in January 2020.
The Community Academy
consists of a series of
classes to learn more about
police procedures, laws,
and personal safety. The
class content is geared
toward immigrants and
refugees as it focuses
on topics that have
been identified as of
interest to new American
communities. The purpose
of the Academy is to create
a situation for positive,
non-emergency interactions
between the community
and the police, as well as
to encourage community
members to learn about
local laws, how the police
work, and how to protect
themselves. While this
session was interrupted
due to COVID-19, we look
forward to launching again
in the coming school years.
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