ROCKLAND — Regional School Unit 13’s new location for Adult & Community Education services has opened on the Oceanside High School campus, at 400 Broadway, in Rockland.

 “We are extremely pleased at the opening of our new Adult Education Center," said Superintendent John McDonald, in a news release. "This new facility is a fantastic resource for our communities and will enhance RSU 13's ability to offer programs and services to all those seeking to further their education in the mid-coast area.”

A community open house event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 4 - 6 p.m., at the new location, which is just one mile from the McLain School Building, which formerly housed Adult & Community Education services on the 2nd and 3rd floors. 

The public is invited to tour the new facility and meet the adult education staff. Educational activities and games will be offered at the event, including a peek at practice questions from the HiSET (formerly GED) and Citizenship Exams. Visitors will gain more information regarding current class offerings and are invited to complete a short survey to help with planning for future programming. The Adult Education Center is one of two new modular buildings located behind the high school with reserved parking near its entrance.  

In recent years RSU 13 Adult and Community Education has primarily provided academic programming and after-school arts for youth. In the 2023-24 school year they served a total of 152 academic students, including 59 high school completion students, 48 English Language Learners, and 45 Maine College and Career Access and Workforce Training students. In total, students ages 16 to 81 attended over 2,000 hours of academic instruction, and those taking the HiSET high school equivalency exam had a 100% pass rate after working with instructors on test preparation. 

 Additionally, in 2023-24 the program served 400 youth and 68 adults in the Arts in Action and after-school arts programming funded by The Anonimo Foundation. This program is responsible for many local murals, including the wall outside of Rock City Cafe, signage at the Rockland Transfer Station, the gym wall at Flanagan Community Center, inside and outside of The Landing Place, The Apprenticeshop, Rockland Public Library, Good Tern Coop, and inside various local schools. Teaching artists include Alexis Iammarino, Rachel Hendrick, Annie Bailey, Katherine Ferrier, Ella Simon and many others.  

The Adult Education team is excited about the new location.

“Our staff and students are grateful for this wonderful new facility dedicated to continuing education," said Christy Monroe, director of RSU 13 Adult and Community Education. "We look forward to greeting community members at the open house event and learning more from visitors about interests in future programming opportunities.”  

All Adult Education Center programming funding is supplemented by grant funding and academic programming is offered free of charge to Rockland area students. The Adult Education Center can be reached at 207-594-9764 or adulted@rsu13.org for any questions, directional support, or to schedule a new or returning student appointment.