No, it is never too late to get your high school equivalency diploma.

“It is never too late to try something new,” said Jennifer Anderson, lead teacher of the Upper Cumberland Adult Education program offered in Warren County. “Don’t stay somewhere you don’t want to be. It is your life. Make it great.”

The cost for a better you is free. High school equivalency classes are offered free of charge through an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Putnam County Schools. Classes are offered on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. till noon and evening classes are from 5 to 8 p.m. They are held at the First United Methodist Outreach Building.  

“Our partnership with First United Methodist Church contributes to our success we have had at the Warren County site,” said Anderson. “We enrolled 147 students during the 2017-18 school year and had 48 students earn their high school equivalency diploma. Many of those graduates have entered further training or the workforce.”

Students are given an initial appraisal test and are then assigned material which corresponds to their academic level. Some students who test at a high level won’t have far to go while others may need to make a more long-term commitment.

The courses in McMinnville are designed to provide the knowledge class members need to pass in all five subjects -- reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Soft skills and employment skills are embedded in the program as well.

“Our program enrolls new students year-round and can help students make connections with other services to overcome barriers to employment or post-secondary education,” said Anderson. “We want to help adults be prepared for post-secondary education or family-sustaining work, which benefits the entire community.”

For more information, call 931-304-3188.