Unique Adult Education Programs

Chris commented on: Group 2 & 4

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Ben commented on: Groups 3 &4

 

Unique Adult Education Programs

Chris Cathcart

Rob Hill

Mary Henehan

Ben Ranfeld

Ball State University

EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education

March 3, 2014

Introduction

            Adult education in the United States has taken on many shapes and forms since our country became a nation.  We chose to investigate both a local adult education program and a national one.  The Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie, IN serves the city and surrounding areas providing lifelong education to both children and adults.  What started out as an organization promoting the arts to underprivileged children has blossomed and grown into a wide variety of learning opportunities for all ages.  The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a nation-wide program aimed at delaying and preventing type 2 diabetes in adults.  Both programs seek to build local ties in communities and empower adults to better themselves.  They rely on staff, volunteers and donors to provide services and maintain facilities.  They also have partnerships with community, government, educational institutions and businesses to ensure relevancy and success.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts

Cornerstone Center for the Arts resides in Muncie, Indiana’s historic Masonic Temple.  Construction was started on this building in 1920 and completed in 1926 with facilities for the Masonic lodges, and a banquet hall and auditorium meant for public use.  Over the years the Masonic organization dwindled and in 1989 community members formed the Masonic-Community Building Foundation to restore, preserve and protect the building  (Hein & Lawin, 2006).  In 1993, they received a Ball Brothers Foundation grant and an endowment fund was setup in 1995 to maintain the building.  In 1999, the building was falling into disrepair and community leaders took over control of the building, renaming it the Community Civic Center.  In 2004 the Community Civic Center merged with the Muncie Center for the Arts and in 2005 the building and organization were renamed to Cornerstone Center for the Arts (Cornerstone).

The Center today acts as landlord to resident organizations including the Muncie Masonic Organizations and the Community Center for Vital Aging.  It strives to offer arts programming and activities to underprivileged children within the city and Delaware country.  “Cornerstone has made efforts to reach individuals of all races, ages, cultures, and socio-economic levels through arts programming, [and] family-friendly special events” (Hein & Lawin, 2006).  Financial aid is available to students of all ages who enroll in classes and workshops; this assists those without the necessary means to participate.  The education program has over 1,000 students enrolled annually and more than 20% receive financial aid assistance (Hein & Lawin, 2006).  Adult programing is offered through semester courses, workshops and single events.   Courses include salsa and ballroom dancing, sign language and Spanish classes, yoga and acting. One day events include Coffee with Picasso, Geography of Black History Month and the World of Women. (Cornerstone, 2012).  A Celebration Open House occurs at the end of every 12-week session to display, demonstrate and celebrate what was learned, and the Cornerstone Art Show occurs annually.

Cornerstone is managed by a board of directors.  They employ full-time and part-time staff, and also rely on the generosity of volunteers.  Ball State University and other community partners work with the center to offer internships, federal work-study jobs and volunteer opportunities to students.  Funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, leasing of the facility for events, resident organizations, donations and participant fees (Cornerstone, 2012).

YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program

            The first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded by George Williams in London, England in 1844.  Thomas Valentine Sullivan, a retired Boston sea captain, formed the first U.S. YMCA in Boston on December 29, 1851.  While the original purpose of the organization was to bring locals together on religious grounds, its true purpose was to meet a social need in communities and bring together people from all walks of life.  Over the years, the U.S. YMCA has spread across cities and communities throughout the United States offering safe and affordable lodging, gyms, auditoriums, programming for children, and leadership development for college students (YMCA about, 2014).  In the twentieth century, the YMCA started offering evening classes for working-class adults in order to make vocational education and higher educational more readily available to the masses.  “By 1950, YMCAs operated 20 colleges in cities across the country, and many of these YMCA-founded schools became freestanding institutions of higher learning” (YMCA  about, 2014).  Some may think of their local Y as just a gym where they exercise and go swimming, but the organization offers much, much more “as a leading nonprofit for strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility” (YMCA diabetes, 2014).

             Type 2 diabetes is a preventable and treatable disease from which 26 million Americans suffer and it is estimated another 79 million Americans are at risk with pre-diabetes (Hussein & Kerrissey, 2013).  YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is a 12-month, group-based program consisting of 16 weekly sessions along with monthly sessions led by a lifestyle coach.  Participants are encouraged to eat healthy, increase their physical activity and lose weight.  The community fostered by the program helps to motivate and encourage individuals trying to make lifestyle changes to prevent and delay type 2 diabetes.  This program is based on research by the National Institute of Health and the National Diabetes Prevention Program led by the Centers for Disease Control, and is supported by the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (YMCA diabetes, 2014) The program is the first in which Medicare and Medicaid are investing in a community based organized to deliver a disease prevention program.  Early implications show that Medicare costs will be lowered (PR, 2013).  Along with its partnerships with government and health care agencies, YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program also partners with local businesses and community organizations to meet the needs of the community. The program, started in 2010, has been extremely popular and has doubled in size each year (Award-Winning, 2013).

Comparison

            When first analyzing commonalities between the Cornerstone Center for the Arts and the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, it appears there are few similarities.  A closer analysis, however, reveals many shared traits.  Both programs are available to adults. The age when a person is considered an adult is not a clear distinction.  Indeed the National Center for Education Statistics includes 16-year-old persons in their data (NCES, 2014).  Other organizations and programs chose different ages and it is thus best to let the provider determine what age constitutes adult education.  In this case, there is no clear line but it is evident both programs have a strong adult education component.  The YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program is available to those 18 years or older (Diabetes, 2014).  Cornerstone offers courses typically aligned with the arts and has a target audience between the ages of fourth grade to adult.  Their dance courses are an example of offerings that are both of the arts and health-based.  The YMCA Diabetes Program is also aligned with health and lifestyle change.   Both programs offer classes that help develop active and healthy lives.  Cornerstone has a vast offering of arts courses that require physical activity.  So too does the YMCA Diabetes program.  Both programs require payment, but financial is assistance available.  Some adult programs lack a corporeal structure and a designed curriculum.  Both of these programs, however, have a staging area for teaching.  From a staffing perspective, both programs are operated from a mix of full and part time employees, volunteers, partnerships with businesses and government.  Cornerstone was awarded funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the YMCA Diabetes programing receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as numerous private donors (YMCA diabetes, 2014).

            From a contrast standpoint, the programs differ in that, the YMCA Diabetes Program, is a national program with standardized curriculum with localized delivery while Cornerstone appears to be solely a local, community organization.  The content for the YMCA Diabetes Program is more defined in scope, longer in duration (1 year) and group-based (YMCA diabetes, 2014). Cornerstone offers a range of courses that are shorter in duration (12 weeks), but broader in content offering (Cornerstone, 2012).  Due to its size and national offering, the YMCA Diabetes program is far larger than the Cornerstone Center for the Arts.  It is clear that Cornerstone has a regional/local audience while the YMCA Diabetes has a national stage and is delivered in localized sectors. 

            These programs have been organized differently for a variety of reasons.  The Cornerstone Center for the Arts was designed to provide art programming to the community while the YMCA Diabetes Program was designed to strengthen the health of communities through type 2 diabetes education and prevention.  Both serve the community but use different channels and have different outcomes. 

Implications

            Much can be learned from the success of these two programs.  Rubenson (2010) suggests adult education consists of three components: The first critical point is adult education is “lifelong and therefore concerns everything from cradle to grave”, the second is “life wide recognizing that learning occurs in many different settings” and lastly ‘it focuses on learning rather than limit itself to education” (Rubenson, 2010, p. 4).  If one were to look at both of these programs, a case can be made that it is representative of adult education and meets the criteria.  The outcomes of both programs are to create lifelong learning.  There is no upper age limit required in either program and it is open to those who want to continue learning.  Both programs occur in uniquely different forums.  There is no requirement suggesting a classroom is the only place for learning to take place in the adult education arena and these programs offer learning opportunities in settings distinct from traditional classrooms.  Dance rooms, cooperative settings and gyms are provided to align curriculum.  It is evident the purpose of the programs is for learning to take place.  Traditional education delivery is secondary to learning, thus meeting Rubenson’s last requirement. 

            We can also learn how programs change over time to align with the needs of the participants.  Particularly, the Cornerstone Center for the Arts has evolved from something vastly different than what it began as.  Change has been a constant in its history.  The YMCA has also changed to meet the needs of society, yet support was derived from those who saw a need for each program.  It is clear these programs have strong advocacy from both national and localized donors.  We can learn that programs can grow and benefit society when they are supported, have dedicated stakeholders and are adaptable to inevitable change.

Table 1

Summary of Unique Adult Education Programs

	Cornerstone Center for the Arts	YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program
Location	Muncie, Indiana	At participating YMCA’s nationwide
Educational Type	Quasieducational Organization	Quasieducational Organization
Educational Purpose	Mission – to nurture community connections by providing opportunities for creative expression, educational programs, and events in a historic setting	Deliver support and encouragement to those diagnosed with pre-diabetes, or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Educational Perspective	Provide arts programming and non-formal/informal education opportunities to all ages, races, cultures and socio-economic levels in Muncie and Delaware County.	“Everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. (YMCA about, 2014)”
Learners	The Center servers all ages with special programming for adults.	The YMCA serves all ages.  The diabetes program targets adults.
Educators	Full-time and part-time staff, volunteers, business partners, community partners and college/university partners	Full-time and part-time staff, volunteers, government partners, health industry partners, business partners and community partners
Implications	Locally controlled programs have the adaptability to quickly meet the needs and interest of participants.	National programs partnering with many organizations can make a significant local impact. Government agencies can successfully partner with faith-based organizations to make significant, positive impact in people’s lives. Organizations need to change with the times based on needs of participants and society.

                                                            References

Award-Winning YMCA's diabetes prevention program expands for third consecutive year. (2013, November 25). Diabetes Week, 149. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA352762026&v=2.1&u=munc80314&it=r&p=HRCA&sw=w&asid=959c47de7c98b9194f34972976f3e188

Cornerstone Center for the Arts (2012). Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Retrieved from https://cornerstonearts.org

Diabetes Prevention. (2014). YMCA of Denver.  Retrieved from      http://www.denverymca.org/DPP 

Hein, D., & Lawin, B. (2006). Cornerstone History. Retrieved from https://cornerstonearts.org/about/cornerstone_history

Hussein, T., & Kerrissey, M. (2013). Using national networks to tackle chronic disease. Stanford Social Innovation Review (Winter 2013). Retrieved from http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/using_national_networks_to_tackle_chronic_disease

Merriam, S. B., & Brockett, R. G. (2007). The profession and practice of adult education.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). Fast Facts. Retrieved from             https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=89 

PR, N. (2013, February 21). The Y launches project to test cost effectiveness of the YMCA's diabetes prevention program among qualifying medicare enrollees. PR Newswire US.

Rubenson, K. (2010). The field of adult education: An overview. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

YMCA: about us. (2014). YMCA of the USA. Retrived from http://www.ymca.net/about-us 

YMCA’s diabetes prevention program. (2014). YMCA of the USA. . Retrieved from http://www.ymca.net/diabetes-prevention

Group Roles:
Chris Cathcart - researched programs
Mary Henehan -  found additional resources for chosen programs, writing, editing and APA formatting
Rob Hill - wrote implications and comparisons sections, editing and formatting
Ben Ranfeld - researched programs, wrote Cornerstone and YMCA sections, editing and formatting