Laker Nation News

Lake Land College’s Adult Education program offers free GED and ESL classes with the support of funding from the ICCB Adult Education and Family Literacy grant. These classes help students age 17 or older continue their education and develop valuable employment skills. Lake Land instructors and advisors help students in these courses achieve their academic goals and prepare for successful employment by assisting with résumés and providing access to community resources.

In Lake Land’s GED courses, students receive instruction, texts, online resources and practice tests to help enhance their language arts, social studies and math and science skills in preparation for GED exams. Specialized instructors are also available to provide individualized guidance to ensure all students achieve their learning goals. Lake Land also helps eliminate barriers to completion by covering the cost of two GED exams for all students who regularly attend class. Lake Land College celebrates all who pass the GED with a graduation ceremony in May.

In Lake Land’s ESL classes, non-native speakers receive an introduction to the English language and develop the skills needed to function in American society. Students are immersed in the language via reading, writing, and conversational activities. Students are assessed upon their entrance into the program and are matched to a corresponding level of expertise to ensure a productive and beneficial learning experience.

In both the GED and ESL courses, students begin with an orientation session, where they learn about the classes and take their first assessments. Orientations for Lake Land’s GED courses are held the first week of the month in September through November and January through April. Upon completion of the orientation, students can begin attending GED classes at one of the following locations during the Fall 2023 semester:

• Charleston: Eastern Illinois University, Booth Library, Room 4450
• Effingham: Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Dr., Room 203 or 222
• Marshall: Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6th St.
• Mattoon: Workforce Development Center, 5001 Lake Land Blvd., Room 105
• Pana: Western Region Center, 600 E. 1st St.
• Paris: Old Paris High School, Corner of South Central and West Crawford, Entrance S6
• Shelbyville: First Assembly of God, 108 S. Oak St.
• Sullivan: Sullivan High School, 725 N. Main St., Room 14

For Lake Land’s public ESL courses, orientations are held the second week of the month in September through November and January through April. Upon completion of the orientation, students can begin attending ESL classes in one of the following locations during the Fall 2023 semester:

• Arthur: Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut St.
• Charleston: Newman Center, 500 Roosevelt Ave.
• Effingham: Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Dr.
• Marshall: Eastern Region Center, 224 South Sixth St.
• Mattoon: Workforce Development Center, 5001 Lake Land Blvd.

To view the full orientation and class schedules for both the GED and ESL courses, visit https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/adult-education/.

To see if these programs may be right for you or someone you know, call the Adult Education line at 217-238-8292 to speak with an Adult Education representative, or contact Shannon McGregor, director of adult and alternative education, at 217-238-8383 or at smcgregor2@lakelandcollege.edu.

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