Kristen Amato knows the name of every student registered through the Adult & Community Education program at Warren Woods. And as the program director, the feeling of family is something Amato intends to keep around, no matter the program’s future growth.

With 4,000 students in the Warren Woods School District, the Adult & Community Education program boasts an
extensive list of services that cater to all age groups. But what stands out the most to students is the environment provided for them.

“It’s small, but we can offer several of the things they need. They feel secure here; secure enough to learn. It feels like a family to them. We’re big enough to offer the programs they need, but not overwhelming,” said Amato, who remembers taking classes through the Community Ed program as a child.

In addition to Warren Woods’ numerous Early Childhood services, an Alternative Education high school and Enrichment courses, the community education program has a large Adult Education program with courses in High School Completion and ESL, as well as senior services and activity classes.

“High School Completion is a really big thing,” Amato said. “We have a high demand for ESL, but even then their goal is to get good credentials so they can get a really good job.”

About four years ago, Warren Woods began offering the Workforce Investment Act Out-of-School Youth career development program, in conjunction with Michigan Works!, to help its high school and high school completion students up to age 21. The in-school and out-of-school program focuses on career development and teaches students skill-sets like culinary and horticulture while paying them minimum wage.

“We had them learn culinary skills, and they would work in the cafeteria and prepare meals for the seniors,” Amato said. “We taught them horticulture skills and they went out and provided yard care.”

In addition to generic career development, the program offers tutoring services and has a licensed counselor on hand. While most receive one-on-one training through the program, there are seminars available for help on such things as résumé building. A summer program is also available to provide more hands-on workplace experience.

Though the economy has hurt nearly every program, Warren Woods keeps pushing forward with its programs. While it has been able to keep all programs open through the current hardship, Amato wishes the program would be able to continue growing.

“People don’t have enough money to spend on enrichment classes. Even though we have good enrollment, people are just coming in with an overwhelming need, and we don’t have the ability to meet the needs of everyone,” Amato said.
“It’s more that we can’t expand to meet the needs our students have. We’re growing as we can, but it’s just slower than we’d like.

Amid the challenges, Amato and her staff have made positive program changes. The staff is opening up to more possibilities and they’ve worked on being more responsive to the needs of students.

In the two and a half years Amato has been director, the program’s made tremendous progress. In her first year on the job, 24 students graduated from the High School Completion program. In her second year, that number rose to 39, and at this year’s semester break, 24 students had already finished.

The Adult and Community Education program also recently began working with the Macomb Driver Academy to offer Segments I and II of driver’s training. Considering the academy’s owner is a graduate of the district, Amato feels creating that relationship is a great way for the community to support the school district.

“We’re a program that’s growing because we see that there’s a need and we’re in a really good position to fill the need
of students out there,” Amato said. “And doing things in our own unique way to serve the students we get is what makes
it special.”

For more information, please visit Warren Woods Adult & Community Education, or call (586) 439-4408.