We often think of Bermuda as a tropical paradise with pink sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters, and, of course, the ubiquitous “Bermuda shorts.” But there is another side to Bermuda that tourists don’t generally see: adults with little or no education, some of whom may be considered functionally illiterate.
The Adult Education School (AES), based in Hamilton, Bermuda, offers a variety of adult literacy and learning programs to predominantly black individuals in low-income areas. Founded in 1958, AES provides an educational “lifeline” to adults whose educational needs have not been met by traditional education. These adults may include a tradesman who needs to improve his writing skills in order to be promoted or a high school dropout who would like to obtain his diploma. The number of adult students that AES serves ranges from 60 to 120 each year. According to AES, the “typical” student is a “black male from a disadvantaged social background.”
AES offers a variety of courses to meet the needs of different individuals seeking to acquire basic reading and math skills. Examples of the types of programs that it provides include the following:
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Wilson Reading
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Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
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General Educational Development (“GED”) Preparation
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College Preparation
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Workforce Development
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Life Coaching
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Other Customized Skills
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In December 2019, right before the Coronavirus outbreak, ProtoStar made a $6,000 “bridging” grant to AES towards the development of various pilot programs as part of AES’s Transformation Plan 2020. The purposes of the Transformation Plan 2020 were to meet changing demands for workforce training, such as technology certification and other developmental programming, and to expand AES’s student base to include children and adolescents.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, AES has had to make substantial adjustments to its Transformation Plan 2020. ProtoStar will continue to work with AES in its efforts to combat illiteracy in an important segment of Bermuda’s population.
This grant furthers ProtoStar’s interests in: (1) serving unserved or underserved needs, including adult education and literacy, especially in low- to moderate-income areas; and (2) Children’s Education; and (3) Socioeconomic Justice.
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Tara
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Hello!
I would be interested in knowing more about the Adult Education School, for Bermuda, including any information that came in from this partnership, please and what programming out of that list is available, it has been hard to find otherwise.
Thank you so much in advance and I look forward to hearing more at your earliest convenience.
Best,
Tara-
garyppoon@gmail.com
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Thank you for your interest in ProtoStar’s partnership with the Adult Education School. We will provide updates as and when appropriate. What exactly are you interested in?
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