Student leadership and shared decision-making at Poway Adult School help ESL students find their place in the community
Student empowerment can take on a lot of different forms. Sometimes, it’s as simple as establishing a comfortable place to hang out after class.
This is one accomplishment recently made by the Student Council at Poway Adult School (PAS). After hearing feedback from students who lamented not having enough places to sit comfortably to study or socialize, the group advocated for the purchase of picnic tables and umbrellas to encourage more opportunities to connect at the school.
“It was such a simple thing, but we never really thought of it,” says Ann Fisher, Lead ESL Instructor and Student Council Advisor at the school.
“Student Council is a safe space for (English language learners) to start to volunteer. We really try to build a sense of community and break down barriers.”
Ann Fisher, Lead ESL Instructor and Student Council Advisor, Poway Adult School
This kind of student empowerment is one key to closing the equity gap for adult learners, according to “Seven Converging Promising Practices” adopted by the Education to Career Network (ETCN) of North San Diego County adult education consortium and its member schools. It specifically aligns with “Practices that Empower Students,” a principle which aims to “create a supportive learning environment across the entire student journey, ensuring all students have voice, agency, information, advocacy skills, and curricula necessary to fully participate in their programs and reach their academic and career goals.”
To empower students and create a sense of belonging, PAS shares a survey every year and started a Student Council—made up of volunteer English language learners—a few years ago. Improvements from the surveys and council input include the picnic tables as well as creating an area on campus with vending machines.
The volunteer Student Council members also help welcome new students and meet monthly to discuss student activities, fundraising, scholarships, and community outreach.
One recent student-driven effort was a gift card drive benefiting the Poway Unified School District’s Youth In Transition (YIT) program, which supports more than 400 families experiencing homelessness by seeking to remove barriers to enrollment, attendance, transportation, and academic success. Money raised through the vending machines also goes toward scholarships.
Babita Dhaila says she was welcomed with open arms when she joined the council in 2025. She was excited to help others the way council members had helped her in the past.
“We do so many things and answer so many questions,” she says. “Newer students ask us, ‘Where’s the office? Where is our pantry? Where is our restroom?’ If they need something, we’ll show them where they can find it.”
The experience is particularly empowering for English language learners, since it’s often the first opportunity they have to work with a larger community speaking primarily English, Fisher says.
“Student Council is a safe space for them to start to volunteer,” she says. “We really try to build a sense of community and break down barriers.”
Some of those students even serve as advocates for adult education programs with local politicians, or in Sacramento.
Working together
Representatives from ETCN member schools meet monthly to discuss shared resources, best practices, and student pathways.
“Everything that we do, we start with thinking of students first,” says Pam Garramone, Assistant Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education at PAS. “No matter what the outcomes are, it all comes back to the students and how they’re doing in school.”
Student empowerment can also extend to students’ personal lives.
Foroogh Arezoo has only been attending classes at PAS for a few months, but she already credits what she learned there with helping her to buy a car, secure a job, and improve her English skills.
As a newcomer to the United States who is learning English, Arezoo signed up for classes last summer. She started out with classes focused on improving English skills and has since also taken a Financial Essentials class and worked with a PAS career counselor.
“I think it was the best decision to help me find my way for the future,” she says. “It helped me a lot.”
The Education to Career Network is the largest adult education consortium in San Diego County. Its members include Escondido, Poway, Ramona, San Marcos, and Vista Adult Schools, as well as Palomar College. To learn more about ETCN and its members, visit educationtocareer.net.
Written by Stacy Brandt
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Southern California | English as a Second Language |
