At the School of Extended Learning, 240 English as a Second Language (ESL) and Vocational ESL certificates were awarded this past spring – including some that were awarded retroactively. That number was almost five times greater than the previous year. Making achievement of certificates a priority, the noncredit ESL program team visited each ESL class with flyers and a giant goal-setting thermometer, challenging students with a “World Cup” goal to see 40 students earn their certificates. Not only did they rise to the challenge, they also shattered the goal.
All ESL classes are offered tuition-free and Certificates of Completion are officially recognized by the state of California.
School of Extended Learning classes are offered throughout each semester. In addition to noncredit ESL, other tuition-free programs include Adult High School, GED/Bilingual GED, Career Skills Institute, Health and Safety, and Parenting classes. The noncredit ESL program is supported in part by the CAEP Santa Barbara Adult Education Consortium.