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Adult learners tell Senate committee Vermont programs changed their lives
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Summary
Adult learners and program staff told the Senate Education Committee how Vermont Adult Learning and community-based programs helped refugees, immigrants and adults earn credentials, improve English, and gain jobs — speakers urged continued funding and statewide access.
Members of the Vermont Senate Education Committee heard personal testimony April 16 from adult learners who said state-supported adult education restored their career prospects, language skills and civic participation.
Bridal Kravitz, director of outreach and workforce development at Central Vermont Adult Education, opened the panel and introduced students who said the programs reach people the public may not expect to need services. "I do wanna say that, in this building alone, there are a couple of current and past students who you see every day," Kravitz told the committee.
Joel Tungar, a refugee from South Sudan who arrived in 2023, described a childhood amid civil war and years in refugee camps before enrolling in adult learning in Vermont. He said the classes have improved his reading and writing, allowed him to compete for jobs and that he expects to graduate with a diploma this June. "The education which I desperately want is here with me through remote learning," Tungar said, thanking the committee for supporting adult education.
Carl Coleman, a resident of White River Junction and a peer support specialist, said he left high school early and later returned through Vermont Adult Learning. Coleman told senators he had passed three GED subtests and expected to complete his credential next month, crediting teachers who "saw my potential even when I could not see it myself."
Other students described similar gains: Homer Sun, a refugee from Venezuela, said English classes at the Fairmont Avenue Clinic helped him stop relying on translators at work; a Brazilian student cited transportation and internet barriers that limit access to classes and asked for more locally available instruction.
Program staff asked lawmakers to preserve and expand statewide access. Heather Hobart, executive director of the Memorial Restorative Center, and others noted the cost and local funding gaps that make programs uneven across the state. Committee members thanked the speakers and flagged potential budget and continuing-education considerations as they weigh funding choices.
The committee planned to move on to the next scheduled item, having heard how adult education programs affect refugees, immigrants and long-term learners and why advocates say the state should sustain them.
