The Cortez Adult Education Center is has relocated to a larger and more accessible facility after ten years of serving the community.
The nonprofit's new location is at 640 East Second Street, in a building formerly occupied by Unlimited Learning. The facility has larger classrooms, more parking space and accessible entrances.
Executive Director Susan Hakanson said that the organization began looking for a new location during the COVID-19 pandemic because its previous home could not comfortably accommodate some students.
"We were feeling really pinched by our old site," Hakanson said. "Our classrooms were small, they got tight often, and weren't really a friendly place if you had an injury or a limitation."
The former center also had a steep staircase that created difficulties for students with injuries or mobility limitations.
The Cortez center primarily provides high-school equivalency and English-language instruction. It also offers basic-literacy tutoring, career advising and assistance overcoming barriers in navigating education or employment.
Hackanson said that includes practical assistance like help purchasing eyeglasses, arranging transportation, helping students complete financial-aid applications like FAFSA or paying for certifications needed to obtain a job.
The classes are free and open to individuals aged 17 and older. The organization expects to serve more than 200 students this year between their Cortez and Durango locations. Its students include speakers of up to 15 different languages.
Hakanson said in-person instruction is particularly important for students who have struggled with online learning.
"Being able to sit in a classroom with a teaching professional - and usually small classes - is really conducive to learning," she said.
The center will hold an open house celebration on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4:30 to 6:30pm with a ribbon cutting at 5pm. The event will feature food, live music, children's activities and tours of the facility.
More information is available from the Cortez Adult Education Center by calling 970-564-7004.
General-election ballots enter the mail
Also Monday, Montezuma County, along with jurisdictions around Colorado, began mailing ballots for the Nov. 3 general election to active, eligible registered voters.
Completed ballots must be returned to the Mountezuma County Clerk and Recorder by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count.
Voters can confirm their registration information, update their mailing address and track their ballots through GoVoteColorado.gov.
