Adult Education

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Registration

To register for any of our programs, please fill out the form below.

Presiona aquí para registrarte en Español.

Eligibility Requirements

Student Eligibility

student eligibility

In order to be eligible for our classes you must:

Be 17 years of age or older; and
Not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under State law; AND
Meet one or more of these conditions:
1. Unable to speak, read or write English;
2. Do not have high school diploma or equivalent;
3. lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills.

*An exception is made for Work-Based Project Learners and Transition to Employment students referred by the Workforce Center or MFIP to be allowed in conditional content classes.

Visit Literacy Minnesota for more information about programs around the state.

Contact

651-425-6634
greatrivers@sowashco.org

Susie Evans
Great Rivers Adult Education Consortium Program Manager
651-425-6169
sevans1@sowashco.org

No English?
Text in your first language to 651-270-3266

Locations

District Program Center
8400 East Point Douglas Rd. S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016

Central Park
8595 Central Park Pl.
Woodbury, MN 55125

Tilden Community Center
310 River St.
Hastings, MN 55033

Visit Generations Cafe

Program Descriptions

English as a Second Language

ESL Classes - Morning

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Central Park, Woodbury

ESL Classes - Evening

Tuesday, Wednesday
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
District Program Center, Cottage Grove

Hastings ESL Classes - Morning

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Tilden Community Center, Hastings

Hastings ESL Classes - Evening

Tuesday, Thursday
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Tilden Community Center, Hastings

CONVERSATION SKILLS

Monday, Wednesday
12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Central Park, Woodbury

Book STUDY

Monday, Wednesday
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Central Park, Woodbury

Citizenship Prep

Tuesday
12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Central Park, Woodbury

GED and K-12 Diploma

Great Rivers currently offers two pathways for obtaining your high school diploma or equivalency:

K-12 Credit Diploma Completion
Test-Based High School Equivalency Diploma (GED)

Upon enrollment our staff will help you decide which path will help you to achieve your goals. Additional information can be found newar the bottom of this page under Current Student Resources > GED FAQ.

K-12 DIPLOMA

Our K-12 Diploma program is a credit completion program for adults not currently enrolled in high school to work on credits needed to complete their high school diploma. The program is best for students that have 15 credits or less to complete.

Licensed teachers are available for support and supervision. Upon completion of all required courses, K-12 Diploma students will be issued a SoWashCo Schools High School diploma.

Students aged 17 or older, currently enrolled in their high school, are strongly encouraged to talk to their counselor if considering this program. Other alternative education options may better meet their needs.

ged Prep and Official testing

Our program offers free prep classes and readiness testing to those who qualify. Great Rivers staff will guide you through the process from start to finish. Official GED Testing is offered at the District Program Center (Cottage Grove) and Tilden Community Center (Hastings). For more information on when testing is available at either of our test centers, please call 651-425-6668 or log into your ged.com website.

Test takers must have a valid, current Government Issued picture ID to verify identity and eligibility for testing. This can be a passport, driver's license or permit, ID card, or green card.

Already passed your GED and looking for a copy? Contact the Minnesota Department of Education at mde.abe@state.mn.us

Benefits of Attending the GED Program with Great Rivers Adult Education Consortium

Attend free GED prep classes to prepare and become comfortable with the tests before you take them. In a GED prep classes you get:

Licensed, patient teachers
Individualized studies specifically for you
Relevant curriculum to help you succeed
Free GED Ready™ official practice tests when recommended by your teacher
Registered students can study in our computer lab or at home online
Guidance through the entire process

How do I sign up for official testing?

Students that have prepared for their testing must register and schedule their test times on the GED website. Walk-ins are not allowed as students must be registered on the GED website in advance.

Students must pay for their test(s) at the time of scheduling, using a debit or credit card. Test(s) must be cancelled 24 hours in advance to avoid losing funds.

K-12 Diploma and GED Class Availability

Tuesday, Wednesday
4:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
District Program Center, Cottage Grove
Office hours available upon request. Please contact us at 651-425-6634.

Presiona aquí para registrarte en Español.

helpful resources

Credit Recovery

credit recovery 2023-2024

Trimester 1

October 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
In-person, 3:30 p.m.- 5:00p.m.

Trimester 2

January 16, 2024 - February 22, 2024
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
In-person, 3:30 p.m.- 5:00p.m.

Trimester 3

April 16, 2023 - May 23, 2023
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
In-person, 3:30 p.m.- 5:00p.m.

Summer 2023

TBD
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
In-person

Teachers will be available to work through lessons with students on content they did not complete. Mastery tests will only count if the student is supervised by a Credit Recovery teacher, no cell phone use, or other web pages can be used during this time. Taking notes during tutorial and learning time with teachers increases credit completion. Students must pass mastery tests with 80% or higher. Students must communicate with the school’s Credit Recovery lead with concerns and needs.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact your student's home school.

Skills Development and Career Readiness

Basic COmputer Class

This class covers topics like: basic computer terms, browsing the internet, creating and using email, basic keyboarding, creating and saving documents, and more.
New classes start in January
Please register now
In-person
District Program Center, Cottage Grove

Pathways to prosperity

Pathways to Prosperity aims to help close this skills gap through integrated services to help participants succeed in in-demand careers. If you qualify, you may be able to access education and training, support services and job placement to help you reach your goals.

Pathways to Prosperity is available at no cost to participants who meet certain eligibility criteria. Pathways to Prosperity is funded by the State of Minnesota and is awarded to by a competitive grant process to providers.

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Associate Certificate Course

Certified Instructor-led, classroom-based training to prepare for the MOS Associate Certificate (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) exam.

Also includes work readiness training in foundational reading, writing and math; ESL when necessary; as well as curriculum that is tailored to make work central to learning.

November 28 - March 2, 2023
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
12:00-3:00 p.m.
Central Park, Woodbury

Next session:

March 13, 2023 - June 2, 2023

For information & eligibility contact Sheng Xiong, Career Navigator 651-275-8701

Great Rivers Adult Education Consortium and Washington County CareerForce have partnered to deliver this training, funded by a grant from MN Department of Employment & Economic Development.

ParaPro Assessment Prep

The ParaPro Assessment is a general aptitude test that is required in many states for paraprofessional certification. It also offers the district an objective assessment of your foundation of knowledge and skills. Great Rivers Adult Education offers free online courses to help you confidently pass the ParaPro Assessment.

The online course allows you to work at your own pace. Additional in-person instructor assistance is available for math and reading.

For more information contact Angela Schak at aschak@sowashco.org or 651-425-6668

Current Student Resources

Calendar

Stay up to date with upcoming classes and events for Great Rivers Adult Education Consortium, SoWashCo Community Education and SoWashCo Schools.

Great Rivers

Date Range

Start date - End date

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December 2023

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sun, Nov 26

Mon, Nov 27

Guru Nanak Dev Sahib's Birthday

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Pronunciation - CP

Coping with Anger - Rise Up Recovery

Tue, Nov 28

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Basic Computers - CP

GED/Diploma - DPC

Beg./Int. ESL - DPC

Int./Adv. ESL - DPC

Wed, Nov 29

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Pronunciation - CP

Coping with Anger - Rise Up Recovery

GED/Diploma - DPC

Beg./Int. ESL - DPC

Int./Adv. ESL - DPC

Thu, Nov 30

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Parenting - Rise Up Recovery

Fri, Dec 1

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Sat, Dec 2

Sun, Dec 3

Mon, Dec 4

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Pronunciation - CP

Coping with Anger - Rise Up Recovery

Tue, Dec 5

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Basic Computers - CP

GED/Diploma - DPC

Beg./Int. ESL - DPC

Int./Adv. ESL - DPC

Wed, Dec 6

ESL - Tilden

Adv. ESL - CP

Beg ESL - CP

Int. ESL - CP

Pronunciation - CP

Coping with Anger - Rise Up Recovery

GED/Diploma - DPC

Beg./Int. ESL - DPC

Int./Adv. ESL - DPC

Thu, Dec 7