104 N. Main Street
Souderton, PA 18964
Office: 215-723-5430
Fax: 215-799-0739
104 N. Main Street
Souderton, PA 18964
Office: 215-723-5430
Fax: 215-799-0739
EDUCATION
Keystone Opportunity Center’s Adult Education Department offers free English as a Second Language (ESL), English Language/Civics (citizenship), pre-high school equivalency, and high school equivalency (HSE) instruction through classes and tutoring. Keystone is a Title II, Pennsylvania Department of Education funded program. We serve approximately 465 adult learners annually who reside Montgomery County and along the Bucks/Montgomery County lines. We strive to help our learners succeed in meeting their goals, which may include:
All potential students must first complete intake, orientation, and assessment before being placed into class or matched with a tutor. Please call or text the Keystone Opportunity Center’s education hotline at 267-663-1001 to learn more about our program and to request an appointment for intake, orientation, and assessment.
Schedule
Keystone provides year round adult education instruction. We offer a six week summer session and twelve week sessions in fall, winter and spring. All classes meet two days per week for 2-3 hours per class, depending on the class assignment. For program year 2021-2022, many of our classes are meeting remotely on Zoom, but we also have ESL and high school equivalency classes meeting in person at our teaching sites in Souderton, Hatfield, and Norristown.
Tutoring is ongoing throughout the year. Students who wish to study with a tutor must be available to meet for at least three hours per week.
Case Management
In addition to instruction, the Education Department staff includes student support coordinators who are available to assist enrolled students in setting goals, addressing barriers to persistence, and providing referrals to county partner agencies for assistance with employment, training, food insecurity, or any social service needs.
Interested students may contact our Education Department directly at 267-663-1001 or email [email protected].
English as a Second Language
Keystone offers English instruction at five levels: literacy, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and advanced plus (college and career English). Keystone offers ESL and English Language Civics (citizenship) instruction morning, afternoon, and evening either in person or remotely via Zoom. Instruction is available to residents who live in Montgomery County and along the Montgomery/Bucks County line. Class placement is determined by English listening and reading assessment scores. All students must be assessed before placement into class. Keystone offers literacy, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and advanced plus (college and career English). In addition, we also offer a multilevel English class for senior citizens. The focus of ESL instruction is on improving listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. We also incorporate civics and workforce preparation lessons into instruction.
Our program offers free Title II, Pennsylvania Department of Education funded English and civics instruction year round. We offer a six week summer session and twelve week sessions in fall, winter and spring. All classes meet two days per week for 2-2.5 hours per class, depending on the class. Students are expected to make a commitment to regular attendance and are required to communicate with our student support coordinators and instructors when they are not able to attend class.
GED/HiSET Class
High School Equivalency (HSE) preparation is provided by Keystone for residents who live in Montgomery County and along the Montgomery/Bucks county line. Instruction is offered through in person classes in Souderton, remote learning via Zoom, and remote or in person tutoring. There are two testing options for attaining a diploma in Pennsylvania: GED and HiSET
Components of the HSE preparation class include reading comprehension, grammar, composition, math, science, and social studies. The coursework prepares students for either exam.
Our HSE instruction is free and part of our Title II, Pennsylvania Department of Education funded program. Potential students must first complete intake, orientation, and assessment before being placed into class.
It is important to note that ANY passing GED subject tests taken prior to January 1, 2014 will NOT count towards the current GED test. GED is a computer-based exam.
HiSET is a computer-based OR paper-based exam. Test takers must schedule and take the HiSET in person at an approved testing center or remotely through https://hiset.ets.org/.
GED is a computer-based exam. Test takers may schedule and take the GED in person at an approved testing center or remotely through https://ged.com/.
For more information about the specific high school equivalency tests, please visit the GED and/or HiSET websites.
English Language/Civics Classes
Keystone offers free EL/Civics (citizenship) classes provided through Title II, Pennsylvania Department of Education funding. Our current schedule provides morning and evening classes remotely via Zoom. Classes meet twice a week for 2.0 hours per class.
In spring of 2022, in partnership with HIAS Pennsylvania, we will also be offering a ten week citizenship class with funding from the USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program.
Students in EL/Civics class study English (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), U.S. history and civics, and learn interview skills needed to pass the U.S. naturalization interview and exam. It is very important to learn about the naturalization process and prepare in advance for your naturalization interview! Keystone recommends students take this class four months to one year before applying for naturalization.
For more information on U.S. naturalization eligibility, forms, fees, and study materials, visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship.
Tutoring
Keystone’s Adult Education program offers free one-on-one and small group tutoring. Students interested in having a tutor must first attend an intake, orientation and assessment session with our tutor coordinator for level placement and goal setting. Students interested in tutoring must be able to meet with their tutors at least three hours per week. Students and tutors meet remotely via Zoom, in public places such as libraries, or at Keystone classroom sites.
Volunteers
Keystone’s Adult Education team and our students greatly appreciate and enjoy working with our volunteer tutors and classroom aides! Our dedicated volunteers help us achieve our program goals and are an important part of our student success stories. All adult education volunteers are supported by our tutor coordinator, who meets with volunteers to figure out the best fit, review student levels and goals, and to provide learning materials and support throughout the volunteer assignment.
Tutors
We are always looking for volunteer tutors to assist students in reaching their educational goals. Most tutoring sessions are 1.5 hours long, and are scheduled twice a week. We ask that potential volunteer tutors commit to six months of volunteering in our program. Volunteers interested in working one-on-one with students or working with a tutoring group must have a bachelor’s degree. Volunteers tutor students in English as a Second Language (ESL), EL/Civics, pre-high school equivalency, and high school equivalency. Free tutor training is provided for eligible volunteers.
Classroom Aides
Keystone is always looking for classroom aides to assist our instructors in both remote and in person classrooms. Classes meet twice a week for 2-3 hours, depending on the assignment.
Contact Keystone’s EducationDepartment
Interested students may contact our Education Department directly at 267-663-1001 or email [email protected].
Director of Adult Education Programs: Susan Clauser
Tutor Coordinator: Szilvia (Sylvie) Szekely
