Vermont Adult Learning helps adult learners, ages 16 and older, acquire reading, writing, math, and computer skills to earn high school diplomas/GEDs. We teach English Language Learners skills to advance educationally and at work. We engage in workforce development. Our services are offered at no cost and are available in person and online. Text VAL to 833-900-0907 or contact our Learning Center nearest to you to learn more!
Interested in remote learning? Check out VAL’s Online Learning Center (OLC) course catalog.
Note for in-person learning: We no longer require masks in our learning centers. Anyone at high risk or wishing to continue wearing a mask for other reasons is welcome to do so. We will continue to have masks available in our centers for those who need them.
Those who choose to wear a mask do so because it is a decision they have made for their health and safety. Vermont Adult Learning expects that decision to be respected.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, get tested according to the Department of Health guidelines. If the test comes back negative, you can come into VAL Learning Centers but please wear a mask until all symptoms have resolved. If you choose not to be tested, then stay home until all symptoms have resolved.
If you have concerns about your safety, please let us know so we can discuss options to address them.
Meet Maureen: VAL opens the door to a world of possibility for our students (7/13/2022) - What are three things you want people to know about you? I’m a New Yorker. No matter how much I love Vermont and the many other amazing places I’ve visited and lived throughout the years, New York City will always be my home. It’s where I was born and raised, surrounded by a Polish-speaking grandmother, Irish red-haired Nana, loving parents and a younger sister. My father worked at the Empire State Building and I had my piano recital at age 12 at Carnegie Hall! I’m a mother. I love, love, love being a mom to the most incredible young woman… 
Meerim: I appreciate that here in the U.S. I am free (7/5/2022) - Meerim, 30, is an English Language Learning (ELL) student at VAL from Kyrgyzstan. She speaks three languages: Kyrgyz, Russian (Kyrgyzstan is a former Soviet Republic) and is learning English. She was born near Issyk-Kul, home to the seventh-deepest lake in the world. Issyk-Kul means “warm lake” in Kyrgyz, an apt name for a saline lake in the Northern Tian Shan Mountains that never freezes, despite severe winters! “I came to the United States because I wanted a better life,” Meerim said. “I am a Muslim and I like to be independent and I can earn more money here,” Meerim said. … 
Ryley: I’m determined to get ahead (6/23/2022) - “It’s easy to get by,” Ryley said. "Anybody can get by, but it’s hard to get ahead. I’m determined to get ahead.” Ryley, age 28, is a recent graduate of VAL’s Energy Works Weatherization Training. She and her partner live with their children near Rutland, Vermont. Adopted as a child, Ryley experienced some rough patches along the way. She is committed to living her life and doing right by those she loves and who love her. “I graduated high school early and enrolled in the automotive program at Vermont Technical College (VTC). I really enjoy cars,” Ryley said. “We learned… 
Nicole: Living her values as a Weatherization Crew Member (6/16/2022) - Nicole, age 37, spent several years working in human services before deciding she wanted to build a career in weatherization. She had managed farmers’ markets and advocated for EBT options so Vermonters experiencing low incomes could purchase fresh, local foods. She organized a program that sent 120 volunteers into K-3 public school classrooms to help students develop literacy skills. She also worked for mental health agencies. “I was working and looking for a career change,” Nicole said. “I’d been toggling between environmental sustainability and human services in my search for purpose-driven work.” Weatherization was a long-simmering interest for… 
Adji: My goal is to be a nurse in the United States (6/8/2022) - Adji, aged 40, is a VAL English Language Learning (ELL) student who arrived in Vermont from Dakar, Senegal, on December 16, 2019. She spoke three languages when she landed in the United States: French, Wolof and Pulaar; she did not speak a word of English. Today, she speaks and understands English amazingly well for such a short period of time, particularly as an adult learner. Adji and her husband, also Senegalse, are proud parents of four children. The couple live in Vermont with their oldest son who will be a freshman at the University of Vermont School of Engineering in… © Vermont Adult Learning