FARMINGTON — Franklin County Adult Education is serving more than 200 students across the region while offering workforce training, digital literacy and community enrichment classes, Director Mary Redmond-Luce told the Regional School Unit 9 board of directors March 10.

Redmond-Luce highlighted several of the program’s major offerings, describing adult education as a resource designed to support individual learners and the broader community.

“I like to highlight programs,” she said. “This time I did a graph about the five pinnacle pieces of adult education. And I like to celebrate things that are meaningful for our whole community.”

Among those programs are enrichment classes that provide residents with opportunities to learn new skills and explore personal interests.

“So enrichment courses we usually do about 30 every semester, and we’ve had 282 people sign up,” Redmond-Luce said. “It could be a one day activity or something they’d like to learn or it could be multiple weeks so we have American sign language, a class to turn wood into treasures so they can make bureaus and tables, dog training and then end of life care. And some personal finance stuff.”

She said the classes are designed to be accessible to a wide range of residents and often draw strong participation.

“So it’s things for the whole community that they can access and there tends to be a lot that they can access and there tends to be a lot of fun,” she said.

Some offerings have proven especially popular with older adults.

“Tai chi is our biggest one for seniors and then we have over 60 we had to actually have a new class, a third class added, because there’s over 60 people that go to that,” Redmond-Luce said.

Digital literacy instruction is another key service offered through Franklin County Adult Education. The free program provides help with technology and device use at libraries across Franklin County, at SeniorsPlus and within local schools.

“I think to date 251 people have received free services since July,” she said. “And there’s a lot of potential fraud and scams out there. So we are happy to report there is somebody right in our local area that can help people with identifying such things. “

Redmond-Luce said the program works to respond quickly when adults express interest in returning to school or pursuing training.

“With adults, you have to get them while ‘it’s hot’,” she said. “We are not at capacity as there is always room for one more. We never make an adult wait to make a plan of action.”

Currently, 204 students are actively enrolled in adult education programs, working toward goals such as high school completion, college preparation and workforce training. That figure does not include 17 additional participants at the Franklin County Detention Center.

“Our numbers are strong, 204 actively enrolled students, and that doesn’t include the 17 at the Franklin County Correctional Facility,” she said.

Redmond-Luce said adult education plays an important role in supporting economic mobility and workforce development in the region.

“A big part of adult education is really workforce investment for a community,” she said. “So, when you can have somebody have some upward mobility in their education, training, and then ultimately how much they earn, that is substantial gains for an individual family.”

Career advancement can also create opportunities for others in the workforce, she said.

“A McDonalds worker might become a CNA and that opens up the position at McDonalds,” Redmond-Luce said. “So, we always strive to be a really key player for that. Because that is what makes the economy work and families in our district strong.”

Franklin County Adult Education employs nine full-time staff members, including five registered nurses who teach health-related program