I had forgotten the excitement and the fear of stepping onto a college campus for the first time. I was reminded of the confusion of registration and the hustle and bustle of getting from one class to the next, on time!

Watching the learners from my site experience these things renewed in me the realization that community college offers great expectations and hope to people. "College for a Day" gave learners a real taste of college life. It was much more than a good time. College is a big step for many people, and this wonderful event was a stepping stone to ease the journey down that path.
    --Jean-Marie Aubin, site director, PVAEC, Northampton, MA

Last March during spring break, SABES/ West hosted a "College for a Day" at Holyoke Community College (HCC) with the help of an Innovation Grant from HCC. One hundred and fifty adult basic education learners and their teachers from many western Mass adult basic education (ABE) centers attended this high-energy day. It was sunny and spring-like, and everyone easily rose to the occasion.

Students started the day by registering and enjoying a continental breakfast in the lobby of the Forum, the college's theater. Inside the theater, President David Bartley welcomed the "new HCC students." Following a brief presentation by both the Admissions and the Financial Aid Offices, the Western Mass Social Action Theater Group performed scenes from college life.

After finding their way through the hallways and buildings of HCC, learners attended two 45-minute classes ranging from breadmaking to environmental science. The faculty were all people who normally teach classes at HCC. Some even volunteered their time and energy rather than accept the stipend SABES offered. Following classes, learners were treated to a buffet lunch, a raffle, and tours of the campus. Each program received a bagful of goodies including family literacy books and videos to take back to its site. Two local newspaper reporters with accompanying photographers were present to interview learners about their experiences. Everyone left smiling.

This event was a joy to coordinate. It was, by far, the most successful event we've had in many years. In the focus groups SABES/West conducted over the summer following "College for a Day," teachers and learners both mentioned it as the high point of the year. They not only encouraged us to do it again this year, but said we should consider doing it two, three, even four times a year.

What does this mean for adult education learners and the support services their centers and teachers receive? First, we think it means that a transition from ABE to community college is an extremely viable path for learners to follow. As one student suggested: "I've put my children through college and now it's my turn!" They may need more support than the typical community college student, but we feel they are more bound to succeed once they get there because they have already worked so hard to make their school experience a success.

In addition, we also think it means that SABES can successfully work with learners and teachers together. The power created from working with a learning center in its entirety, rather than just the teachers or just the directors, is amazingly underutilized. This type of service delivery makes more sense for integration of initiatives, integration of people and the roles they play, and certainly for the integration of SABES. We at SABES/West intend to use "College for a Day" as a model for other developmental activities that lend themselves to such a format. And we definitely plan to host another "College for a Day" this year.

Patricia Knight Mew is the Associate Director of SABES/West. She can be reached at 413-552-2393.