Program Planning, Essay Example

Introduction

The development of a successful program planning strategy for adult education programs requires an effective understanding of the different areas of focus and the limitations that prevail under these conditions. Adult education programs require an experienced group of individuals who work collaboratively to achieve the desired outcomes and to promote improved educational opportunities for adult learners. It is important and necessary to develop a planning strategy that will encompass a variety of objectives in order to achieve effective outcomes for the program in question. Conducting an interview with a program planner for adult education will provide greater insight into the challenges of adult education and the planning process in order to achieve specific outcomes that will improve the knowledge base and experience of adult learners across different settings. The following discussion will summarize an interview conducted with an adult education program planner and identify areas for improvement that require significant attention to detail and strategic frameworks in order to capture the spirit of adult education and its impact on learning for this group.

Body

I conducted an interview with Tom Kelly, the Education Services Officer for the US Army base in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Kelly has several degrees, including a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Master of Science in Adult Education, and is currently pursuing his Doctoral degree. His role at the base is complex and requires many different hats because he is responsible for a variety of duties in order to improve the learning potential of members of the military to improve outcomes and reflect upon specific indicators that will facilitate positive programmatic results for this group. In this capacity, Mr. Kelly possesses the knowledge and experience that is necessary to achieve successful results with his programmatic efforts because he possesses the skills and experience that are required to perform his duties effectively. The Fort Leavenworth Education Center is designed to provide members of the Army with the tools that are required to promote effective outcomes and to create an environment that supports continuing education for these members through the following mission statement: “The Ft. Leavenworth Army Education Center aims to improve the combat readiness of the Total Army by providing quality educational programs and services that support the professional and personal development of Soldier, Adult Family Members, and DA Civilians” (Fort Leavenworth Education Center, p. 1). It is important to consider the impact of a program of this nature on members of the Army who might enter the military for specific reasons but when they are discharged, find it difficult to enter into civilian life without a strategic plan in place (Fort Leavenworth Education Center). The program also provides access to several colleges and universities to promote educational advancement upon discharge or during reserve periods and encourages prospective students to apply to programs with the assistance of program planning efforts (Fort Leavenworth Education Center).

Each college that participates in the program planning effort at Fort Leavenworth Education Center works to coordinate these efforts through the creation of different programs to ensure that members of the military are prepared to enter into formal college education programs (Fort Leavenworth Education Center). At the same time, these programs support the development of new initiatives to allow military members to obtain additional education that will support their reentry into civilian life (Fort Leavenworth Education Center). Each of these perspectives is critical to the success of these endeavors and provides greater insight into the challenges that military members face when they have completed their service time and are seeking to obtain additional education to pursue a future career path (Fort Leavenworth Education Center).

The Cafarella Interactive Model of Program Planning was designed as a primary resource in order to address key areas of education for adults which capture the needs of these individuals and enable them to achieve their objectives (Cafarella, 2002). Under this model, there are a number of key areas to consider that support effective program planning efforts, including identifying the specific context of the program and what will appeal to a broader base of adult learners; obtaining knowledge-based and financial support from key stakeholders in order to accomplish the desired objectives; to support different program-based ideas and concepts that will best encourage students to take the steps that are necessary to achieve their educational goals; to design plans of instruction that will recognize individuals and their learning curves and provide specific guidance in developing programs that will be useful in supporting adult learners; engaging adults in the required learning plans to achieve their goals; developing evaluation plans to support these objectives; creating marketing strategies to attract learners; and coordinating teachers, other staff members, and facilities to promote and implement these programs (Cafarella, 2002). These efforts demonstrate that adult education has a positive impact on student learners and provides significant support so that adults achieve their individual learning potential in an effective manner (Cafarella, 2002).

Other programs that are specifically designed for current and former members of the armed forces include GoArmyEd, which serves as a “virtual gateway for all eligible Active Duty, National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers to request Tuition Assistance (TA) online, anytime, anywhere for classroom and distance learning. It allows Soldiers to manage their education records including college classes, testing, on-duty classes and Army Education Counselor support” (2013). In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers education-based resources and tools for veterans and provides such assistance programs as tuition assistance, financial aid, work study, cooperative training, licensing and certification, apprenticeship training, and entrepreneurship training (2013). Finally, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) provides programs for prospective students and for program planners in order to accomplish the educational objectives of current or former members of the armed forces (2013). For example, the program provides SAT and ACT prep courses at a low cost to provide prospective students with these resources to achieve their educational goals and objectives accordingly (DANTES, 2013). Each of these programs is designed to promote an effective approach to program development so that military personnel are provided with the tools and resources that are necessary to achieve their educational aspirations in an effective and affordable manner.

The interview with Tom Kelly was conducted to identify the key areas of program planning for adult education and how these contributions play a role in shaping the outcomes of current and former military members who are planning for their lives as civilians. It is important to address these concerns and opportunities in the interview in order to determine how to best move forward with their lives once their service is complete or their inactivity as members of the military begins. A series of questions were asked in order to accomplish the desired goals and provided greater insight into the needs of military members and their core strengths to achieve positive outcomes. These questions and the answers provided will be summarized in the following paragraphs.

1.First of all, thank you for taking the time to meet with me and to discuss your roles and responsibilities at Fort Leavenworth Education Center. Tell me a little bit about your job and how your role fits into the mission of the organization.

In my role as an Education Services Officer, I am responsible for connecting current and former members of the military who are no longer on active duty with educational opportunities to support their futures. We recognize that many members enlist in the military because they feel that they have no other real direction in life or they simply want to lend a hand and serve their country. No matter the reason, these individuals represent part of a very challenging future that continues to be more complex as the years pass. My job is to evaluate each person’s case on an individual basis and match up possible educational opportunities with their interests and core strengths so that they will be able to enter into a program and achieve their desired objectives accordingly. I believe that these individuals are perhaps challenged beyond the norms of the traditional student because they have spent much of their adult life in the military to date and have not had any type of structure beyond this environment to work with. Therefore, they are largely unfamiliar with the inner workings of modern education and how these will impact their lives. I work with these individuals to improve their lives through continuing education and seek to develop specific programs for them that will support their needs accordingly. Since we have many different opportunities to choose from, I use a specific model and framework to help support these decisions.

2.Tell me a little bit about the model and framework that you use to accomplish your objectives with this group of people. How do you introduce these concepts to them? How do they typically respond? Are there any factors that might be helpful in identifying their strengths to effectively plan their adult education strategies?
In this role, I am responsible for making certain that the people who enter the program are provided with the tools and resources that are necessary to achieve their objectives in a successful manner. This is not an easy task to accomplish, and inevitably, some people do not complete their pursuit of adult education. It is unfortunate but the statistics are on our side in the number of successful candidates who have moved on to achieve their educational goals and objectives. I believe that the use of Rosemary Cafarella’s Interactive Model of Program Planning is an effective tool in supporting the different areas of program planning that we must provide to our clients. This model reflects upon many different areas that are required to ensure that clients are served appropriately and without delays in pursuing their educational efforts. We believe that this model most accurately reflects our current direction and our future objectives, and it also provides us with a number of options in supporting our programs to assist and engage specific clients in their adult education plans.

3.Which types of program efforts do you offer to your clients? How are decisions made regarding the programs that are chosen? What are the resources that are necessary to implement these programs effectively?

In order to accomplish the tasks associated with successful program development, we routinely examine the needs of the clients that we serve. We have discovered that some programs are necessary to achieve specific goals and these goals are not always consistent across all groups. For example, we have discovered that some groups are likely to benefit from GED planning and preparation, while others benefit from ACT and SAT preparation. Some clients are seeking financial aid to attend college, while others are seeking knowledge regarding the partnering educational institutions and what they offer. We offer all of these services as well as other services to our clients and work with each and every client individually on a recurring basis to ensure that their questions are answered and their needs are met as best as possible. We also provide group educational resources for those students who are likely to benefit from the classroom experience. For each of these programs, a part of the current budget is allocated towards these services and individual employees work to implement these goals and objectives accordingly. We have a great staff that works very hard to make sure that our programmatic objectives are met and we are able to provide our clients with the resources that they need to accomplish these goals. A combination of financial and knowledge-based resources, in addition to human capital, are required to facilitate program success at all levels.

4.In speaking with your clients, what do you find are their most difficult challenges as they transition into civilian life? What does your team do to allow these persons to have a voice and to express their fears during this transition effort?

In recent years, I have discovered that our clients have struggled with a variety of concerns regarding their futures after the military. Some members have a clear path and direction for their lives, while others struggle to find an area that they are most interested in. The majority of these people are concerned with their financial wellbeing, in addition to their ability to finish any education that they pursue and find jobs after they graduate. In addition, the majority of clients have expressed their concerns regarding their home and family lives and how their transition back into routine daily living will work.

We do our best to provide them with guidance and reassurance that by pursuing additional education, they are doing the right thing and will be in a better position to become financially stable and to support their families as best as possible. We believe that these opportunities are available and that our clients need a push in the right direction in order to achieve their objectives. We recognize that the military is a difficult life choice and requires a significant long-term commitment; therefore, we do what we can to provide our clients with a safe and secure environment to support their needs, but also encourage them to branch out and explore the different opportunities that are available.

5.What are the most important program planning tools that you use when developing and maintaining programs for your clients?

From our inception, our group has worked closely with our constituents and other supporters in an effort to provide our clients with a friendly, safe, and unique environment to address their continuing education needs. We have sought to discover new programs that our clients need and want, while also relying on traditional programs that have suited our clients well in the past. Since we are given a specific annual budget to work with, we must use these resources wisely and efficiently at all times so that our programs can continue without delays or interruptions. However, this has become increasingly difficult in recent years with the continued challenges associated with budget cuts and other constraints. Therefore, we have limited resources to work with and with the recent sequestration, we are limited even further. However, we remain positive that we will be able to continue our programs without incident and will utilize our resources wisely in order to accomplish these objectives as necessary. We have found that program planning is the most difficult part of our job and that implementation typically runs smoothly once the program is off the ground. Therefore we must consider our options and our limitations and do our best to keep our clients satisfied and to provide them with bright futures after their active military service has ended. Our clients appear to be very satisfied with the services that we offer because they are able to obtain access to education and other resources that might not have been otherwise available to them.

6.Finally, what do you see as the programs and goals of the future? In which direction do you see the group going in the coming years?

With continued budgetary cuts and constraints, it has been very challenging to continue programs at the same level as we have in the past. Therefore, in some cases, we have streamlined some programs but have done our best not to interrupt the integrity of these programs and their impact on our clients. We believe that in spite of budgetary constraints, our programs are some of the best that are available to this client base because we demonstrate our care and commitment to our clients time and time again that goes above and beyond the norm. We want our clients to succeed in every way possible and are constantly seeking methods to tweak and support our programs in a manner that engages our clients and allows them the freedom to pursue their desired opportunities effectively. These elements are critical to the continued success of these programs and demonstrate the necessity to create programs that are not only insightful, but that also support the objectives of the organization as best as possible. We believe that our client base is our most important asset and we will do what is necessary to preserve these resources as best as possible. We are committed to our clients and their education during a very critical time in their lives when there are significant challenges that they face upon reentry into routine daily living. Therefore, we will strive to do what is necessary to achieve these objectives and to take the steps that are necessary to achieve these outcomes in the best possible manner.

Conclusion

The Fort Leavenworth Education Center provides its clients with a number of important benefits that are designed to facilitate effective outcomes for their personal and professional growth. This organization is heavily involved in program planning efforts in order to provide its clients with different opportunities to achieve their goals and objectives as they transition into civilian life. These individuals face many difficult challenges that must be addressed because they do not always know which direction to take after they complete their military service. It is important to recognize these limitations and to take the steps that are necessary to produce effective outcomes and to make decisions in regards to program planning that will lead to successful results for our clients. The program planning model that is useful to this team is the Cafarella Interactive Model of Program Planning, which provides significant support for the continued development and growth of programs that are designed to support success and growth for all clients.

Program planning at Fort Leavenworth Education Center is based upon a multi-step strategy that seeks to provide its clients with a variety of tools and resources to meet their needs in an effective manner. This is accomplished through the use of existing resources and human capital to support these efforts. New program implementation is always challenging and is a difficult process in order to balance a new program against existing programs. It is necessary to develop these objectives and to consider how to best move forward with implementation efforts by using existing knowledge and tools in order to achieve these outcomes accordingly. The creation of a successful learning environment for these clients is facilitated by the exemplary leadership and guidance of Thomas Kelly, who works hard to ensure that the education-based programs and resources that are provided at Fort Leavenworth are not only effective, but also supportive of existing frameworks that will positively influence outcomes accordingly. Mr. Kelly’s work at the organization provides many positive impacts for its clients and continues to be successful in spite of many budgetary challenges and other limitations. However, the organization’s success in the area of program planning for adult education continues to be its greatest strength.

References

Caffarella, R.S. (2002). Planning programs for adult learners. (Second Edition). San Francisco:Jossey-Bass.

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (2013). Homepage. Retrieved from http://www.dantes.doded.mil/DANTES_Homepage.html

Program Planning in Military Operations: Fort Leavenworth Education Center, 1-2. https://www.goarmyed.com/login.aspx

United States Department of Veterans Affairs (2013). Education programs. Retrieved from http://www.gibill.va.gov/resources/education_resources/education_programs.html