Brooke Denney (right) of Cowley County Community College explains a chart from her presentation on "Mathematical Metaphors" to Molly Mosher of Cloud County Community College.

Kathy Corpus of Dodge City Community College, in full period dress, provides an entertaining lesson on the history of the Great Bend and Larned area.

Dr. Gerald Bailey, a professor at Kansas State University, drives a point home while helping KAEA members learn "How to Create and Nurture Teams."

Crystal Puderbaugh (far left), Associate Director of Adult Education, Kansas Board of Regents, answers questions about new GED testing regulations.

Jana and Jerry, accompanied by the Cloud County Community College Percussion Band, presented a "Top 15" list about working in adult education during the KAEA Idol competition.

Allen County Community College's "The Three C's" harmonized during the KAEA Idol contest.

Singing their own rendition of "Stand by Your Class," Reagan Monroe, Michelle Carson, and Brooke Denney delight the KAEA Idol audience.

Dr. Jeff Zacharakis, a professor at Kansas State University discusses  the strategic planning process with KAEA members.

Julie Dorrell, director of Highland Community College adult education centers, performs her own music for the KAEA Idol audience.

And the winner is...

Each year, KAEA gives out numerous awards celebrating the best of the best. Whether they are instructors, leaders, volunteers, or adult education supporters, all represent our powerful commitment to the learners we serve. You may read the stories associated with the awards as they come in. Please click here or click on the "more details" links to get the complete articles.

KAEA Past President Kelly Mobray of Salina presents the Master Adult Educator Award to Sarah Cottam of Hutchinson Community College. The award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies professional adult education instruction in the state of Kansas. [more details]

Rebecca Rhaesa (left) of the Salina Adult Education Center accepts the Tyro Adult Educator Award from KAEA Past President Kelly Mobray of Salina. The award celebrates a relative newcomer who has made an outstanding contribution to adult education. [more details]

KAEA Past President Kelly Mobray of Salina (right) presents the Humanitarian/ Awareness Award to Larry Phillips, editor of the Southwest Daily Times, the main newspaper in Liberal and Seward counties. [more details]

KAEA President Candace White (left) accepts a plaque honoring her four years of service from Past President Kelly Mobray of Salina. Candace will serve as president through June 2008.

Vivian Copsey (left) of Allen County Community College accepts the Distinguished Service Award from past President Kelly Mobray. The award honors a member who has demonstrated outstanding service to adult education in Kansas. [more details]

Leanne Beets (right) of Newton presents  a $350 Past Presidents Development Fund Award to Johnson County Community College. The center plans to use the funds to start a book club for adult learners.

Vivian Copsey (right) of Allen County Community College accepts the $500 Past Presidents Development Fund Award from Leanne Beets of Newton. The ACCC center will use the award to reach their unserved learner population.

KAEA membership elects new officers for coming year

Members unanimously elected eight officers to serve during the next association year, which begins July 1.

Stepping in to the leadership posts will be: vice present, Jennifer Anderson, Coffeyville Community College; secretary, Karen Sooter, Pittsburg Adult Education Center; District 2 rep, Jennifer Sorenson, Colby Community College; District 4 rep, Donna Munsch, Salina; Missouri Valley Adult Education Association (MVAEA) rep, Sue Choens, Butler County Community College; MVAEA alternate, Dr. Kathleen Corpus, Dodge City Community College.

The Standards Council will also have two newly elected members: District 2 rep, Diane Organ, Colby Community College; District 4 rep, Molly Mosher, Cloud County Community College, Geary County.

KAEA Past President Kelly Mobray of Salina (left) presents a traveling trophy to Sue Choens, director, Butler County Community College Adult Education Center, El Dorado. The trophy honors the center with the most conference workshops.

Master Adult Educator: Sara Cottam, Hutchinson Community College Adult Learning Center
Nominated by Kathy Petz, director, Hutchinson Community College

This award is presented to an individual who exemplifies professional adult education instruction in the state of Kansas.

This educator has been an instructor since 1999. She participated in the TIAN math pilot project and serves as a resource for current TIAN instructors. Because of her expertise, this instructor has presented at KAEA, Kansas Workforce Summit and CASAS conferences. She was initially hired as a part time instructor. It didn't take long to see that she has had a natural talent for not only teaching but also for caring for and understanding the students she works with. She was the first full-time instructor for this program. She is a conscientious and involved teacher. She motivates students to make commitments and to see what is beyond the GED. During her first years as a teacher, she was sometimes learning along with the students. She took it up on herself to take a calculus class so that she could relate to the struggles of her students. Her biggest talent is working with the younger students, and sometimes the most difficult. She has learned that she can dislike and deal with student behavior while still caring about and maybe even liking students. They respect her because she is fair and willing to listen. She is a great example of an excellent teacher. She works hard at what she does and is representative of so many of the educated professionals in this organization.
 

Tyro Adult Educator: Rebecca Rhaesa, Salina Adult Education Center
Nominated by Adrienne Allen, assistant director, Salina Adult Education Center

This award is presented to an individual who has become initially involved in teaching and made an outstanding contribution to Kansas adult education during the five years preceding the KAEA conference.

Upon entering the field of adult education, Rebecca Rhaesa was eager for professional development activities that would help her become the best instructor she was capable of being. She has enthusiastically attended every KAEA conference and Summer Institute offered and has participated in all state-required and recommended workshops. She has taken advantage of specialized workshops such as the GED Math Institute. She was chosen to serve as a member of the KBOR Content Standards Task Force and the TIAN Math Institute. Her local program has relied on her leadership and expertise in developing a curriculum that covers CASAS competencies and content standards, which has already increased educational gains and retention among ESL learners. When the program began the state's first soldier retention program with the Kansas Army National Guard, Rebecca stepped forward and volunteered to teach the intensive two-week class. This program has achieved great success due in large part to her dedication and passion. Rebecca is a true advocate for students and continually keeps their learning and success in mind. According to her supervisor, she "is a true go-getter and pioneer in Kansas Adult Education. She has been dedicated to the field on many levels." Rebecca has worked tirelessly to improve Adult education not only on the local level but the state as a whole, keeping students at the heart of what she does.
 

Distinguished Service Award: Vivian Copsey, Allen County Community College
Nominated by Ryan Bilderback, director, Allen County Community College

This award is present to an individual, in an area other than teacher, who has demonstrated outstanding service promoting, developing, or implementing adult education the the state of Kansas.

Vivian Copsey spends a great deal of time promoting adult education within her service area. Not only does she talk about her own individual program but she also discusses the importance of adult education statewide. She coordinated a career fair last year that included organizing and inviting businesses to campus for students to have the opportunity to explore several different college and career paths. A total of 31 booths were available to students. Her service to the community is beyond measurable. For many years she has provided guidance to the students, instructors, and community that has made a quality program possible. Not only does she ensure that we are running a quality program but one that benefits a great deal of lives and helps to move the learners of Kansas in a more positive direction.
 

Humanitarian/Awareness Award: Southwest Daily Times
Nominated by Susan Lukwago, director, Seward County Community College Adult Learning Center

This award is presented to individuals and/or businesses. Possible recipients include newspapers, public and commercial radio and television stations, individual journalists, and business and industry.

The Southwest Daily Times if the main newspaper in Liberal and Seward County. The paper has demonstrated a commitment to supporting adult education in several ways. When the center contacts the paper directly to publicize something, the paper sends a reporter. Unsolicited by the Seward staff, the Southwest Daily Times included Adult Basic Education in a special section on the "Brain Trust of Seward County." There is no doubt that the Times is a community supporter of ABE. The newspaper attends our celebrations, such a graduation, and gets the word out about our impact on the community.
 

Volunteer Service Award: Sue Essig, Project Finish, Johnson County Community College
Nominated by Janey Daley, Project Finish, Johnson County Community College

This award is presented to a volunteer tutor who exemplifies volunteerism and has made an outstanding contribution to the field during the past year.

Sue Essig retired in 2005 after 30 years as a high school and junior high math teacher. She has volunteered for the past two and one half years serving eight to 10 hours per week at Project Finish. Sue has devoted herself to learning more about the content of the GED math test and the CASAS competencies. It is common to hear a learner say, "I'll wait until Sue gets here to work on math." Sue has had an immense impact on Project Finish. The learning materials that she finds and creates provide additional resources for instructors to use. Her expertise in teaching math is a great benefit to all the math students she helps, but especially to those who struggle to learn math skills. She has been a dedicated and generous volunteer at Project Finish.

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