Lincoln Adult Education Center Program Details

Lincoln Adult Education Center (LAEC), an NCA-accredited Minnesota ABE consortium, offers primarily English language training and workforce education programs to refugee and immigrant adult learners. We are governed by the board of directors of the Institute for New Americans, a non-profit (501)(c)(3) organization.

Learners ranging from Beginning ESL Literacy to High Advanced ESL (CASAS scores 0-260) study at LAEC through a tri-faceted curriculum - ESL, Civics, and Lifeskills.  Students receive daily instruction in all aspects of English language, including oral functional communication, reading, writing, and grammar. Through the civics curriculum component, students learn about U.S. government, history, and culture, discover community resources, and learn about ways to participate in their multiple communities. They improve lifeskills communication in areas such as shopping, health, transportation, housing, and employment. 

In the fiscal year 04/05, LAEC served learners from over 55 different countries.  We have historically had large groups of students from Ecuador, Ethiopia, Mexico and Somalia.  Since fall 2004, we have had an unprecedented number of recently arrived Hmong refugees, who now make up around 20 percent of our student body. 

Our classes are scheduled in three daily sessions.  This allows us to accommodate a variety of schedules for current and potential learners.  Our morning session offers eight different levels of ESL instruction and meets from 9:00a.m to 12:00p.m.  Our afternoon session offers five different levels of ESL instruction and meets from 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.  Our evening session offers four different levels of ESL instruction and meets from 5:30p.m. to 8:30p.m.  In addition to our standard ESL classes, we also have on an occasional basis or as mini-courses/workshops such offerings as an academic reading/writing course, beginning/intermediate math instruction, volunteer led citizenship courses, a basic reading/writing skill building mini-course, and computer keyboarding classes. 

The LAEC teaching staff is currently comprised of five full-time teachers, nine part-time teachers, and an academic coordinator whose schedule includes both administration and workforce education. The staff combined has over 100 years of teaching experience. Eleven teachers have graduate ESL, Linguistics, Adult Education or Languages degrees.

One administrative coordinator, two administrative assistants, an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer coordinator, and several work-study computer proctors also support students and program staff. 

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