WHEREAS,  since 1871 Maine's public schools have supported the development of an adult education system that has grown and adapted to meet the needs of people throughout the State; and

WHEREAS,  Maine's adult education programs are uniquely positioned to provide adults with the opportunity to learn wherever they live in the State, with services in 85% of municipalities; and

WHEREAS,  Maine's adult education programs are educating Maine people about the use of broadband Internet through the ConnectME Community Connections project; and

WHEREAS,  adult education programs are vital to the economic development of Maine and are actively responding to the current crisis of lost jobs by providing programs and courses specifically designed to help educate the workforce and prepare Maine adults for success, including:

1. Direct service to Maine adults who have experienced job loss or who need improved skills to obtain employment;

2. Career preparation and courses for Maine workers, partnerships with postsecondary and workforce institutions, as well as certificate programs, including the implementation of the WorkReady program focusing on workforce development skills for success on the job;

3. Literacy and English as a Second Language programs and successful family literacy programs combining adult education and early childhood education and parenting instruction;

4. High school completion and general educational development programs, which annually award 3,000 credentials in Maine;

5. Comprehensive college transition programs in place in 22 regions covering every county in Maine, which provide career guidance, college orientation and refresher and prerequisite classes for adults seeking college success;

6. Community education, including a vibrant array of courses contributing to the quality of life in Maine communities, offering the opportunity for Mainers of all ages to share talents and learn from others; and

7. A new emphasis on collaboration through the use of distance learning and videoconferencing to bring new learning opportunities to rural communities through a newly awarded federal grant; and

WHEREAS,  the Maine Adult Education Association launched a web portal system of coordinated websites for local programs allowing statewide searching for courses and online registration and payment, with 925,300 visits and 4.8 million page views in the past 3 years and with visits up 15% from 2010 to 2011; now, therefore, be it