Peninsula Adult Basic Education Program

In order to serve our students who score below college and even high school levels in reading, writing and math, we offer the Peninsula Adult Basic Education Program. Our program is designed to provide high quality, accessible, adult literacy and education support services to the Gig Harbor and Peninsula communities. You may reach the Program Coordinator at 253.460.2355.

History

The Peninsula ABE Program has been helping students since 1989 through a variety of channels including its beginning with Altrusa International of Gig Harbor. The program moved to Tacoma Community College Gig Harbor/Peninsula Campus in 1993. The program is staffed by a part-time coordinator and funded by a state grant and through community fundraising efforts, namely the Gig Harbor Garden Tour. Our program is divided into three areas ABE, ESL, and GED.

The Program

The Peninsula Adult Basic Education Program serves over a hundred students per year with trained tutors who donate their time and talents. The program is staffed by a part-time coordinator. A volunteer advisory board provides community awareness and fundraising help. All instruction is provided by trained volunteer tutors. Each tutor and student work together toward the student's goals two to four hours per week. Tacoma Community College Gig Harbor Campus provides office space and administration, and the TCC Foundation provides our non-profit status. After a test and an interview students are placed in these areas: Basic Literacy, ESL or GED Prep.

ABE-Adult Basic Education serves English speaking adults, 18 and above, who have basic literacy skills below the 8th grade level and want to improve their skills by working one-on-one with a tutor. These students are typically adults who have been away from school of any kind and need to study reading comprehension, sentence skills, and math in order to progress toward GED completion or other work, family, or community goals. A CASAS appraisal and pretest is required for entry into this program.

ESL-English as a Second Language serves non-native English students with an intermediate to high ability to communicate in English. Students meet one-on-one with a tutor.

GED-General Equivalency Degree Preparation serves students, ages 16 and older, who have not finished high school and who wish to earn their GED. Students under 18 years of age must obtain a signed high school release form in order to attend classes and take the GED tests. Quarterly registration is required for class admittance and work is done in a self-paced classroom environment for as long as needed to pass the five separate GED tests. GED classes are held at the TCC Gig Harbor Campus on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. GED classes are also held in Home, Key Peninsula, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. GED pre-testing instruction and tutoring is done in all five subject areas: Writing/Essay, Social Studies, Science, Literature and the Arts, and Math. Many of our students find that they are ready for the GED test almost right away. A CASAS appraisal and pretest is required for entry into the program. Students meet one-on-one with a tutor.

If you would like more information about the Gig Harbor/Peninsula program, call us at 253.460.2424 or email Linda Creswell, Program Coordinator for Gig Harbor, at lcreswell@tacomacc.edu.

For more information about the TCC Main Campus ABE/GED program in Tacoma, call 253.566.5144.