Adult Learner Success Summit

Adult learners typically bring a range of goals, responsibilities, and strengths to college. Despite the average age of community college students being 28, college’s structures, processes, and cultures are often designed based on the learning and support of traditional 18–21-year-old students. This can result in adult learners taking longer to complete their credential, stopping or dropping out, or not getting connected to their local college at all.

Yet many colleges across the ATD Network have been working to identify and scale promising strategies to enroll and retain more adults in their communities with some or no college experience.

This half day Summit, taking place on May 11 from 11:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, will explore the diverse experiences of adult learners (students aged 25+) and share high impact practices colleges can implement to better serve these students. 

Sessions will explore how colleges can:  

• Build successful relationships with historically underserved neighborhoods in their community.
• Implement strategies that support diverse student populations, particularly on the intersection of race, gender, caregiving responsibilities, and socioeconomics.
• Learn about teaching and learning strategies and program design that impact enrollment, retention, and workforce connections.
• Create a seamless experience between non-credit, credit, and adult education programs.

Attendees will receive actionable strategies from dynamic speakers and subject matter experts as well as engage with peers to understand the nuances experienced by adult learners in their academic journey.
 
“When I was accepted into the Laboratory Science Technology program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, doors opened that I didn’t know had existed.” Cyan Hite, 2022 DREAM Scholar and adult learner. 

“It has always been my motto, even as a little girl, to change this world. Today I am changing this world.” Tena Rynn Quakenbush, 2023 DREAM scholar. Tena is a veteran of the U.S. Marines and pursing a degree in nursing at Western Technical College (WI).

Who should attend?

Senior and mid-level leaders from student services, academic affairs, institutional research, and other departments. Frontline staff and faculty leadership will also gain valuable information from this Summit. Teams are not required but are welcome to attend.