Latina Adults who emigrate from Mexico Face Unique Barriers in Their Quest for Education

Event Center BC

Fontana Adult School (FAS) is a place where adult learners can begin their path towards education. Much of the student body is enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or General Education Degree (GED) classes. With a largely Latina population at this school I want to attempt to find out why Community College and Career program mentoring appointments and transfer rates are low. I am focusing on Latina adult learners who have emigrated from Mexico since this describes most of the women I have come in contact with. In my research I will engage with learners who seek College and Career mentoring, informal and structured interviews, and in class presence as an instructor’s assistant in a College & Career class. Interviews will include instructors, staff, and students who can shed light on the issues that are part of these women’s lives. In this research project I am studying the socio-cultural and economic factors that prevent Latina adult learners from continuing their education goals beyond the GED, because I want to find out why Latina learners at Fontana Adult School are not taking advantage of the resources available, in order to understand the influence that economics and family obligations have over ones desire to stay or get on the a path of education. It is the sincere purpose of this research to define barriers that will allow FAS to be able to identify ways to help these women.