Celebrating Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

The Maine Department of Education (DOE), in collaboration with Governor Janet Mills and adult education programs across Maine, is celebrating Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (AEFLA), September 13-19, 2026.

AEFLA Week is a chance to recognize that adult education is about helping Maine adults move forward—from strengthening basic skills to earning a high school credential, from a credential to college, and from education to a career. Acknowledging the lasting impact education can have on generations of families across Maine. As part of this week’s AEFLA recognition, Governor Mills has issued a proclamation. The proclamation states, in part:

“Thousands of adults in Maine need assistance to qualify for better-paying and more fulfilling jobs to achieve a post-secondary education, or to improve their English language skills.” It continues, “Success in these endeavors leads to  adults becoming more effective family members, citizens, and workers.”

Read the Governor’s proclamation in full here.

As Maine celebrates AEFLA Week, we recognize Maine Adult Education programs as one of the most important components of the workforce and education system. Across more than 65 local programs, Maine Adult Education, helps adults earn high school credentials, strengthen basic skills, learn English, prepare for college, and gain the skills and credentials employers need.

The impact is substantial. Last year, more than 12,400 adults participated in Maine Adult Education programs. 1,113 adults earned high school credentials, and adult learners earned more than 3,000 certifications and credentials in high-demand career fields.

The numbers tell part of the story; the local stories tell the rest. Whether it is a parent earning a diploma after years away from school, a newcomer learning English while preparing for a career, or a worker earning a credential for a growing industry, Maine Adult Education helps people turn education into opportunity.

A second chance at a high school credential

For adults who did not complete high school, adult education provides a flexible pathway to a Maine Adult High School Diploma or the HiSET, Maine’s high school equivalency credential. HiSET preparation combines instruction, assessment, and individualized support, giving adults a pathway to the same legal standing as a high school diploma.

From basic skills to a better job

Maine’s AEFLA-funded adult basic education programs help adults build skills in reading, writing, mathematics, English-language proficiency, and problem-solving—the foundational skills people need to succeed at work, in college, and in their communities.

Increasingly, those foundational skills are connected directly to career pathways. Adult Education, for example, offers pre-apprenticeship programs that combine contextual education in math or literacy, digital literacy, work readiness, and career exploration with pathways into healthcare, the trades, early childhood education, and banking to name a few.

Opening the door to college and careers

For adults ready for the next step, Maine College and Career Access (MCCA) is a comprehensive program that provides academic preparation, advising, mentoring, and support for those transitioning into postsecondary education or training. Adults can receive help with academic skills, career planning, and the transition to a credential or degree that leads to high-quality employment.

The program helps adults move from a high school credential to community college or university, turning a diploma or HiSET into a launch point rather than an endpoint.

Across Maine, this work is strengthened through partnerships among adult education programs, employers, CareerCenters, colleges, libraries, and community organizations. Maine’s system is intentionally designed as a career pathway and service system, linking basic education, high school completion, college transition, and workforce training rather than treating them as separate services.

This AEFLA Week, Maine can celebrate adult education for what it is: an essential part of the state’s education system, workforce strategy, and economic future.

To learn more about Maine Adult Education, visit the Maine DOE website. To explore adult education programs in your region, view the Adult Education Provider Listing.

 WIOA Title II funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) supplement the implementation of adult education programming. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ED or the U.S. government.

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