With funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Franklin County Adult Education will expand its building at 129 Seamon Road in Farmington. Construction will begin in January and classes will temporarily take place at the Mt. Blue High School. Photo Courtesy of Franklin County Adult Education

FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Adult Education (FCAE) will take advantage of funds through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to expand its center at 129 Seamon Road in Farmington. While the expansion will address ventilation issues to make the space safer during the pandemic, it will also support FCAE’s growing programming.

“With offerings for high school student support, advising, testing, the Literacy Volunteers program as well as college and career assistance, the location had reached its limit in effectiveness and began to be more of a struggle,” Rangeley Adult Ed Coordinator Stephanie Chu-O’Neil wrote in a press release.

The pandemic has put additional strain on the Farmington space as precautions required that less people are in the building at one time. This has caused class schedule changes, more appointment-based assistance and incorporating remote learning courses.

Starting in January, FCAE classes will take place at Mt. Blue High School while construction is completed on the adult education building.

FCAE Director Nancy Allen said that staff has already begun preparations for the move and she is impressed and grateful for their motivation.

“Teachers have been amazing at cleaning, sorting, and packing all sorts of material. Support staff has ordered equipment and taken classes to help make distance learning a reality,” Allen said. “Others have filled in to make sure our students didn’t miss a beat. Not to mention the technical and maintenance crews that have stepped up to make everything come together!”

According to Testing and Data Coordinator Kristie Backus, adult education attendance has declined during the pandemic, but FCAE is implementing new ways to engage the community during this time.

In October, FCAE launched community support days which offers assistance with technology and career advising to the general public on Thursdays by appointment.

The community support days were launched in response to the growing demand for technology proficiency as jobs and educational programs go remote during the pandemic. Allen also hopes these support days will draw new people in and spike their curiosity in FCAE’s other programming.

“Our hope is that they’ll take more classes and enroll in some other programs,” Allen said.

While some courses are still taking place in-person such as woodworking, FCAE is now offering more educational opportunities via Zoom and other online modalities. Courses such as American Sign Language and Behavior Health Professional Certification Training are now offered completely online.

“Some people have never thought they had the time to get a degree or finally get their high school diploma, but now with virtual asynchronous classes, everyone can find the time and just get it done,” Chu O’Neil wrote.