Students check blood pressure at Willow Campus of Hacienda La Puente Adult School.

This open house could open new careers for adults in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. Adult education was holding open houses to celebrate Adult Education Week.
Residents were invited to take a peek at the programs at Dibble Campus on March 12, Willow on March 13 and the Hudson Learning Center last Thursday. The older students had a chance to discover a number of new career choices that could help them find better jobs.
“We’re the second largest adult school system in California after Los Angeles Unified,” said Cindy Parulan-Colfer, associate superintendent for adult and continuing education.
She said the adult schools employ 85 instructors, who teach more than 16,000 older students. Many were attending on federal Pell Grants, which help low-income vocational students.
“Our student received almost $1 million in Pell Grants this year,” said Vicky Rossier, executive director at Willow Adult School.
Area residents were invited to check out the local campuses during the open house, which offered free haircuts, $30 smog tests and cooking demonstrations at the new Culinary Arts Center.
Read more in Rich Irwin’s story HOUSE.