More than 40 California community college leaders, elected officials and representatives from business and industry will be speaking at the San Diego College of Continuing Education for an October 5 & 6 summit focused on eliminating barriers that are keeping adult learners from reaching their educational and career goals.

Titled “A Call to Action: Adult Education Summit,” the gathering is among a series of summits and seminars being held statewide under the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office’s Vision 2030 initiative. The October summit will provide participants with an opportunity to explore emerging strategies aimed at eliminating systemic barriers that are keeping adult learners at noncredit and for-credit community colleges from reaching their career goals. Community college workforce development initiatives – both noncredit and for-credit, earn-and-learn models and innovative adult support services will be among the programs at the core of discussions.

Noncredit adult education ranges from ESL and citizenship classes to free workforce certificate programs that allow non-traditional college students to secure the skills and knowledge needed to transform their lives.

“Noncredit courses open educational pathways to people who may never have considered college before,” said San Diego College of Continuing Education President Dr. Tina M. King. “We serve the needs of the most underserved students by providing quality, short-term, flexible course schedules and modalities to meet our students where they are in life. Our focus is supporting each and every student who enters through our doors with the care and compassion needed to provide quality learning and skill development that translates directly into the workforce and job placement. We look forward to gathering with members from across the state as we uplift the experiences of adult learners.”

Among the dozens of confirmed speakers are California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian; California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber; Assemblymembers Chris Ward and David Alvarez (D-San Diego); and San Diego Community College District Acting Chancellor Gregory Smith. San Diego College of Continuing Education President Dr. Tina M. King will be among seven community college presidents serving as speakers or panelists. California Secretary of Labor Stewart Knox will serve as the October 5 keynote speaker.

“California’s community college system is a treasure unlike any other,” said Chancellor Christian. “It unlocks the talent and potential of nearly 2 million students and it never skips a beat in strengthening our state’s economic and social wellbeing. This is only possible with our collective commitment and hard work. I look forward to meeting with our legislative, education and industry partners at A Call to Action: Adult Education Summit to get a better understanding and develop strategies critical to moving forward.”

A Call to Action: Adult Education Summit is co-hosted by San Diego College of Continuing Education, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and North Orange Continuing Education. All three are among the co-sponsors, along with the San Diego Community College District, the San Diego & Imperial Community Colleges Regional Consortium, the North Orange County Community College District, the Foundation for California Community Colleges and RSSC. 

Up to 300 people have signed up to attend; registration is now closed.

A Call to Action: Adult Education Summit will be held in the historic theater at the Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Boulevard, 92113, which is the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s central campus. 

“The Educational Cultural Complex campus is ground zero for social justice and the Civil Rights movement,” said Dr. King. “It is the right place at the right time to host a convening that will center the conversation on socioeconomic mobility for those who are the most deserving but have been too often forgotten.”

Further details are available at sdcce.edu/call-to-action.

The San Diego College of Continuing Education is among the state’s largest adult, noncredit colleges in the state, providing pathways to economic mobility for veterans, refugees, immigrants, mid-career workers, and more. The college’s career education programs alone, which range from information technology to welding, pump nearly $250 million into the regional economy each year.