We're Adult-Education College and Career Educational Leadership, or ACCEL for short, and we're a consortium of the three colleges in San Mateo County Community College District, five regional adult schools, and multiple community based organizations.

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Our objective is to support students transitioning from adult schools to campus programs so that they're prepared to enter the workforce upon completing their studies at Cañada College.  The adult schools Cañada College partners with are Sequoia Adult School (Menlo Park) and La Costa Adult School (Half Moon Bay and Pescadero).  

 

In addition to focusing on career technical education programs, ACCEL at Cañada College collaborates closely with the ESL Department, due in large part to the fact that a high percentage of adult students are immigrants still learning English.  ESL is not the only subject adult education students require, though, to succeed at college: mathematics and computer literacy are two areas we've identified as key to further bridging the gap between adult school level and college level coursework.  

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Beyond academics, ACCEL at Cañada College also seeks partnerships with community based organizations and employers.  Resources within the community can provide wraparound services to adult education students, many of whom face a number of deterrents in pursuing higher education. Connecting with employers, meanwhile, furthers our understanding of viable career opportunities for this population of students and also allows us to refine curriculum per industry feedback.

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At Cañada College, the ACCEL team includes:

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David Reed, Interim Dean of Academic Support & Learning Technologies

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Lindsey Bynum, Transition Coordinator

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If you would like to get involved, please contact us anytime-- we're grateful for the support!

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To read more about ACCEL in San Mateo County, please click here.