Important Adult Education Organizations

Charlene commented on groups 1 and 5
Becky commented on groups 2 and 5
Jess commented on groups 2 and 4
Roles:

Charlene - Introduction and editing

Jessica - Impacts/Implications and editing

Becky - Roles/Responsibilities and posting

Important Adult Education Organizations

EDAC 631 Group 3

Charlene Jackson

Jessica Kirby

Becky Moening

November 9, 2014

Introduction

Our group decided to continue examining the contributions of the Workers’ Educational Association and the Carnegie Corporation of New York for this paper.  We were able to use our previous research for the Unique Adult Education Programs paper as the groundwork for the Important Adult Education Organizations paper. We were very intrigued by these two organizations and seek to delve deeper into their impact on adult education.

Workers’ Educational Association

Fueled by a belief that a more equal, democratic, and just world would come through education, Albert Mansbridge in 1903, founded The Organization for Education of Working Class Men in Britain.  In 1905 the organization embraced the needs of working women and became known as the Workers’ Educational Association. Mansbridge was able to bring together trade unions, co-operators, church leaders, and academics that shared the belief that educational opportunities should be provided by the state, that would promote active citizenship amongst the working class (Turner, 2009). The method for implementing this aim was to make part-time higher education available for working people in the form of university tutorial classes, where the people decided what they wanted to learn and teachers and students were regarded as equals (Workers’ Educational Association, 1998).  According to Mansbridge, this educational movement would create a “Highway of Education... which will lead directly to a state of society in which people will do the work for which they are best fitted and which they are happiest doing” (Turner, 2009, p. 368).

The Worker’s Educational Association (WEA) is currently the largest voluntary sector of adult education in the United Kingdom, providing classes taught by volunteers in the areas of employability, health and well-being, community engagement, and culture. The organization has touched the lives of over 70,000 adults across England and Scotland, and with the development of the International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA), more than 100 organizations in fifty-four countries have impacted the lives of working adults (Workers’ Educational Association, 1998).

Roles and Responsibilities

The WEA delivered more than 9,700 part-time courses to more than 70,000 students over the course of 2012-2013. The members of this organization take pride in offering classes in a wide variety of subjects to the adults of Great Britain and Scotland. Volunteers are a big reason why the WEA is successful at all levels. The students who attend classes provided by the WEA tend to find their confidence levels rise in the areas in which they are studying. This helps not only the adults taking the classes, but the communities and employers who now have citizens and employees with a higher confidence level in themselves and in their abilities. The Workers’ Education Association also works hard to redress inequality and challenge discrimination of all kinds (Workers’ Educational Association, 2014).

Strategies Used to Achieve Goals

            Adult education often requires the adults to travel if they want to receive the offered educational services. However, the WEA believes that the educational opportunities should travel to the communities. Therefore, the WEA offers classes in a variety of communities at a variety of times in order to help the people of different communities learn exactly what they want. In order to offer classes in different communities, the WEA forms partnerships with community groups, charities and organizations as a way to reach out to the communities while integrating equality and diversity into their everyday work (Workers’ Educational Association, 2014). Volunteers are also depended upon to make these educational opportunities available.

Carnegie Corporation of New York

            Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1911. Located in New York, New York, the organization’s purpose is to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding among people of the United States (Hamburg, 1997). Carnegie’s desire to “place within the reach of the community, ladders upon which the aspiring can rise,” (Hall, 1994, p. 212) led him to focus his philanthropic efforts on “creating real and permanent good in the world” (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2014) by supporting programs that improved the quality of life for people throughout all phases of the lifespan, from early childhood to adolescence and adulthood.

The Carnegie Corporation has made a significant impact on adult education and has contributed to its advancement. Some of Carnegie Corporation’s contributions include, funding the American Association for Adult Education, contributing to the development of the Federal Pell Grant, creating the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and many others (Columbia University Libraries of Oral History Research, 2006). Over the years the Carnegie Corporation has extended its reach beyond the borders of the United States and is now organized into two major programs: the National Program and the International Program. The National Program is comprised of two programs: Pathways to Education Opportunity and Pathways to Citizenship and Civic Integration. The International Program is also comprised of two programs: International Peace and Security and Higher Education and Libraries in Africa.

Roles and Responsibilities

            Andrew Carnegie believed in promoting adult education in many facets, and this has continued within the Carnegie Corporation since his death. The Carnegie Corporation has developed the National Program that includes both the Urban and Higher Education Program as well as the Citizenship and Civic Integration Program. The purpose of these programs is to promote and preserve a vibrant American democracy and advancing knowledge and understanding by expanding educational opportunity and renewing democratic institutions (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2014). These programs work with adults to help them achieve educational and economic goals. The programs also help immigrants to become naturalized citizens. The programs sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation change periodically, but they always work to promote a better America.

Strategies Used to Achieve Goals

            The Carnegie Corporation has worked with organizations all over the world to help fund projects that fulfill the mission of the Carnegie Corporation. There are 26 organizations worldwide that have ‘Carnegie’ in their title due to the great influence of the Carnegie Corporation (Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2014). The corporation creates programs to help fulfill the mission but they also use grant funding to help fund outside projects. Projects that will have a measurable impact and can create meaningful change are supported monetarily by the Carnegie Corporation. It is important to the corporation to help the country, and world, become a better place through positive projects and programs.

Impacts and Implications

            To understand the impacts of organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Workers’ Educational Association on the field of adult education, educators should first examine the history and mission/vision of each group. These basic components can provide excellent insight into what the organization considers important and how it may go about working for growth and change. The overall mission of the Carnegie Corporation is to create educational opportunities for people both in and out of the United States and to work to create real, tangible, and necessary change in this world (Mission & Vision, 2014). The WEA’s overall mission is to take education to adults where they are and make adult education accessible for all adults, to create collaborative relationships between teachers and learners, and to teach students to become active participants in society (Our Vision, Mission, and Values, 2014). Both the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the WEA are organizations that seek to reach out to promote adult education by creating educational opportunities for adults from all walks of life. Though they use different approaches and reach different populations, each organization works to develop adults who are willing and able to participate in their communities. The Carnegie Corporation’s Pathways to Citizenship and Civic Integration is designed to help immigrants attain citizenship and engage in American society (Pathways to Citizenship and Civic Integration, 2014). The WEA focuses on community engagement and works to teach students how to be leaders and contributors in politics and society (Community Engagement, 2014; Turner, 2009).

            The Carnegie Corporation of New York and the WEA each have a history of making significant contributions to the field of adult education. These organizations provide opportunities for adults across the world to learn and grow as individuals and members of society. By funding education and related research projects, the Carnegie Corporation works to ensure that the American education system is advancing (Mission & Vision, 2014). Additionally, the Carnegie Corporation strives to empower adults through initiatives such as K-16 education reform, enhancing teacher education, and working to integrate immigrants into American society (National Program, 2014). Andrew Carnegie’s vision and commitment to education continue to inspire other individuals and organizations to work for the overall good of society (Hall, 1994). The WEA demonstrates on a daily basis the power of taking education to individual communities and learners and helping adults discover the power of taking active roles in their communities (What We Do, 2014). They also show other adult educators how to create a learner centered environment in which students are encouraged to work to meet not only their needs but the needs of society as well. Malcolm Knowles’ idea of andragogy and learner centered education is brought to life in organizations such as the WEA that understand the importance of facilitating adult learning (Knowles, 1970).

            Each of these organizations has something to teach adult educators. The Carnegie Corporation is a shining example of the power of a single individual who believes in a mission and works with passion to create change. The WEA is a great example of the mobility of adult education and the importance of reaching adult learners where they are in life. Both the Carnegie Corporation and the WEA artfully blend education and citizenship into courses and initiatives that help adults learn as well as develop as citizens and members of their communities, demonstrating the relationship between education and politics. These organizations are powerful and dynamic, and adult educators should take time to learn from the way they are changing and advancing the field of adult education.

Table 1. Summary of Important Adult Education Organizations

	Workers’ Educational Association	Carnegie Corporation of New York
Year it was founded	1903	1911
Missions and goals	Provide a more equal, democratic and just world through education Provide part-time, university-level classes for working adults Promote active citizenship amongst the working class	Promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding among people of the United States Increase integration of immigrants into American democracy Create real and permanent good in the world
Roles and Responsibilities	Deliver 9,700 courses to over 70,000 adult students in 2012/2013 Builds confidence of adult students in a variety of areas Works to redress inequality and challenge discrimination	Promote and preserve American democracy Advancing knowledge and understanding by expanding educational opportunities
Strategies to Achieve Goals	Brings education to the communities Forms partnerships with community groups, charities, organizations Dependent on volunteers	Creates programs as needed for educational and economic opportunities Provides grants to outside projects to help create meaningful change
Impact	Takes education to adults where they are in life Accessible education for all adults Student centered learning Developing adults as productive members of society	Funding and research related to education Promotes citizenship and immigration reform Advocates for educational advancement
Implications	Allowing students and teachers to work collaboratively creates productive environments Adult education has the ability to help students develop as citizens as well as individuals	Defining a mission and working to achieve that mission can create powerful change Adult education can spur great political change

References

Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2014). Retrieved from www.carnegie.org

Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2014). Citizenship and Civic Integration. Retrieved from: http://carnegie.org/programs/democracy-and-civic-integration/citizenship-and-civic-participation/.

Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2014). Mission and Vision. Retrieved from: http://carnegie.org/about-us/mission-and-vision/.

Carnegie Corporation of New York. (2014). National Program. Retrieved from: http://carnegie.org/programs/national-program/.

Columbia University Libraries of Oral History Research. (2006). Carnegie Corporation Oral History Project. Retrieved from www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/oral-hist/Carnegie/about-carnegie

Hall, P. (1994). Business, philanthropy, and education in the United States. Theory Into Practice, 33(4), 211-17.

Hamburg, D. A., & Carnegie Corp. of New York, N.Y. (1997). A perspective on Carnegie Corporation’s program, 1983-1997.

Knowles, Malcolm S. (1970). The Modern Practice of Adult Education (Vol. 41). New York: New York Association Press.

Turner, R. (2009). Workers’ Educational Association tutorial classes and citizenship in Scotland, 1907-1939. History of Education, 38(3), 367-381. doi: 10.10801/00467600902855462

Workers’ Educational Association. (1998). Workers’ education, civil society and international development. 

Workers’ Educational Association. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.wea.org.uk/.

Workers’ Educational Association. (2014). Community Engagement. Retrieved from: http://www.wea.org.uk/about/whatwedo/community-engagement.

Workers’ Educational Association. (2014). Our Vision, Mission, and Values. Retrieved from: http://www.wea.org.uk/about/vision.