Nine Star Education and Employment Services, the first step in entering the workforce

The pandemic created a new working world, with many workers who have taken stock of what it means to work, what they want for themselves and their families as they move forward, or a complete overhaul for a new career or new priorities. For some, the first step is completing their high school diploma. Here in the Mat-Su Borough, Nine Star Education and Employment Services, Mat-Su offers people seeking their GED a place to learn, help with employment services, and engage with other teachers and students.

“A big misconception is that students earn a GED. Actually, students earn a High School Diploma. The GED is just the tests used to measure learning in order to earn your diploma,” Program Director Peggy Ridley clarifies. Indeed, students earn an official High School diploma upon completing the work.

Nine Star recently moved into the Westside Center, next to the Mat Su Job Center, and Ridley couldn’t be happier with the bigger space, which offers individual classroom spaces for Math/Science, and Language Arts/ Social Studies, the 4 individual tests that comprise the GED.

“I couldn’t be happier with this new space. The last place was set up more like a study hall. We needed to go the route of having a space that allowed for more student interaction with someone who can guide them through the learning process,” says Ridley.

COVID forced most businesses to shut down or work from home, and Nine Star was no different, moving to Zoom as many other schools and education programs did. With the new location, Ridley is able to offer in-person learning, as well as working with those who are unable to make it in to class, either because of work, location, or family needs.

“We recently bought some technology called SWIVL that has a camera and follows the teachers as they move in the classroom that allow real-time online and in-person learning, so students using Zoom can interact with the class,” Ridley explains. She acknowledges the challenges of getting people to return to in-person learning, much like getting workers to return to the workforce, but remains optimistic that people will want to be part of their new site.

In addition to the Adult Education program, Nine Star also offers employment preparation services. Ridley has been able to focus on Career Readiness, with the introduction of Career Readiness classes and services, and recently added a Job Developer/Coach to their team.

“She’s going to be teaching the Career Readiness classes and working with our students to help them find jobs while they’re with us, as well as work with them afterwards,” she said. This includes help applying to vocational training, applying for grants or scholarships, applying for apprenticeships, or joining the military.

Nine Star offers English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for those who need it. ESL classes cover basic reading, writing, language, and conversational skills, as well as giving ESL students the opportunity to learn how to navigate real life situations and improve their understanding of American culture. For students seeking US citizenship, Nine Star can provide help with the test preparation and interview process.

The new location also offers an expanded testing room that allows for up to 10 people to test at any one time, which can be used for the TABE and the CASAS tests, both tests that are required for placement into subject classes or ESL classes.

“In the old space, we could only test 1 person at a time, which was frustrating and you can lose prospective students.”

Ninestar recognizes that not everyone learns at the same speed, nor is everyone on the same learning level, so they offer different levels of math and reading and work to design courses tailored to meet the needs of the students. Another unique feature is that Nine Star offers open enrollment, meaning people wishing to enroll may do so at any time throughout the year.

“Now is the time to jump into the job market. Getting your high school diploma by GED testing is the first step toward entering the workforce. Nine Star will walk you through the process so you can be on your way to independent living,” adds Deb Lundy, the Language Arts and Reading programs instructor.

The staff is getting ready for the summer session, which offers short workshop-type classes rather than regular sessions.

“We’re in Alaska, and most take time to travel, fish, hunt, or just spend time with family and kids at home. So this way people can keep their feet in the learning while still being able to take care of their families,” Ridley added.

The summer workshop schedule also allows the instructors to step outside of the regular coursework and introduce other subjects and project-based learning, while still gaining the skills needed to be successful on the GED exams.

“Nine Star’s summer workshops is a fun way to begin. Sign up now for two- and three-week workshops that will be both educational and fun,” Lundy enthuses about the summer sessions.

In the meantime, Nine Star continues to work on creating a warm, educational space for the community, and would like to expand testing services in the future to include the GED exams and other tests people often need for employment and education.

For more information about Nine Star Mat-Su, please call (907) 373-7833, or visit their website, https://ninestar.org/mat-su-adult-education/