El Mirage, Dysart and Rio Salado team up on GED

Doug Strong, recreation administrator for El Mirage, submitted this information.

El Mirage has partnered with Rio Salado Community College and the Dysart Unified School District to form the "El Mirage Adult Basic Education Academy." The academy offers accelerated preparatory courses to ready students for passing the general educational development exam, thereby earning a high school equivalency diploma.

The courses and course materials are free of charge to qualifying El Mirage residents who have not yet obtained a diploma. Applicants must provide proof of El Mirage residency, U.S. citizenship, and verification that they are at least 25 years of age or older.

Informational meetings will be held at the El Mirage Elementary School, between Thunderbird and Cactus roads at 13500 N. El Mirage Road, El Mirage, on Jan. 12 and 15, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. Residents must attend at least one of these meetings to be considered for January enrollment.

Child care will be provided at the meeting. Child care also will be provided for all students enrolled in the courses with families. All courses will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings to accommodate those students who work during the day.

All course materials are available in English only, and enrollment is limited, so those interested should act now. The first course begins Jan. 21. Information about the enrollment process is available from the Dysart Community Education Department at 623-876-7056.

The academy is a preparatory program and will ultimately assist students in registering to take the GED exam through the Arizona Department of Education. There is a charge for the actual exam. It must be noted that completion of the El Mirage ABE Academy and course(s) of study does not guarantee that a student will pass the GED test. The test results are the student's responsibility.