In keeping with its mission of teaching, learning and community building, Richland College recently became a partner with the new Garland Can Academy at Arapaho Road Baptist Church by offering Adult Education and Literacy/English as a Second Language (AEL-ESL) and GED courses in the school’s classrooms at the church.
These AEL-ESL and GED courses are free and open to the community, and they are taught by Richland College continuing education faculty members.
“Through these AEL-ESL and GED courses offered by Richland College, individuals seeking to acquire English language skills, enhance literacy, expand employment opportunity and open doors to future college access and degree and certificate completion now have guided pathways to achieve dreams of better, more prosperous lives for themselves, their children and our community,” said Zarina Blankenbaker, Ph.D., Richland College’s executive vice president for academic affairs and student success.
“Our partnership with Garland Can Academy is an extension of the programs we offer on our main campus,” said Gary Hensler, Richland College’s dean of continuing education and workforce training. “We are excited to extend our offerings to groups in our community beyond the physical confines of the campus so we may better serve our constituents.”
The Garland Can Academy, a Texans Can Academies campus, provides students the opportunity to pursue their dreams while removing barriers that may keep them from attaining an education. It is the sixth Dallas-area Texans Can Academies campus with a current enrollment of 165 students and room to grow to 300 students.
Texans Can Academies has a network of 13 charter schools across Texas that are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice, welcoming students of all walks of life. The organization’s mission is to provide the highest quality education for all students, especially those who have struggled in a traditional high school setting, in order to ensure their economic independence.
People interested in taking AEL-ESL or GED classes taught by Richland College at Garland Can Academy can contact Richland College Continuing Education at 972-238-6145 or rlcce@dcccd.edu.
Garland Can Academy is located at 2256 Arapaho Road in Garland. Information on the academy is available at texanscan.org/schools-and-programs/garland.
Photo: Representatives from Richland College, Texans Can Academies, Lionheart Children’s Academy, Arapaho Road Baptist Church, Garland Chamber of Commerce and the local community participate in the official Garland Can Academy ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 25, 2017. Photo by Paul Knudsen.
For more stories about exceptional experiences at Richland College, visit our online newsroom at http://rlc5.dcccd.edu/media.