Continuing Education’s new facility located at Mesa College consolidates programs and classes that have been offered in temporary classrooms, rented facilities, and several neighborhood locations.
The facility is the Campus of Excellence for Intergenerational Studies. Programs provide activities that bring people from different generations together for mutual benefits. “From the young children who attend classes with their parents to the older adults in the Emeritus program, we have at least three generations of students who attend classes in this building,” said Dean Leslie Shimazaki. “The opportunity to combine these students for classroom activities means each generation finds new ways of learning from each other.”
The Parent Education program offers a short-term job training certificate in Child Development that is eligible for college credit in Early Childhood Education. For English language learners, there are seven levels of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, including ESL Transition to College where students practice taking notes from lectures, and college-level essay writing. Students also learn how to apply to college.
“The new educational facility symbolizes inspiration and hope,” said Dr. Anthony Beebe, President of Continuing Education. “We’re especially encouraged by the location of this new building because it helps toward our goal of transitioning students from noncredit programs into college. The faculty and staff at Mesa are amazing, and we are learning a lot from them.”
Elaheh Sareban has been in the US for about a year. She was educated in her own country and arrived with a degree in Radiology/Technology, but could not speak English. Elaheh is an ESL advanced level student and plans to transition to Mesa College as a next step. “My counselor at Continuing Education [Steven Flores] guided me. He helped me know how to continue to college and which courses I need,” she said.
