MASSENA -- The St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES and the Massena Public Library will unveil a new approach to adult education with the “Gateway to Colleges and Careers Program” being introduced in Massena.

The program targets adults over the age of 18 who are lacking a high school diploma or those who are unemployed or underemployed and looking to transition to new careers. Gateway combines academic classroom instruction, career and technology training, a variety of workshop electives, intensive career counseling and community partnerships in a comprehensive program for success.

“Gateway turns the community into a learning center, by creating a campus environment, and linking academic instruction with career counseling and community resources," said Lisa McKeel, Supervisor of Adult Education for BOCES. “A comprehensive approach like this is absolutely the best way for adult students to identify career paths best suited to them, and to gain the academic knowledge, personal skills, and connections needed to secure employment or to enroll in college or training programs linked to their goals.”

“Across the country, libraries have become a critical resource for people seeking jobs and new careers,” said Lynn Fountain, Director of the Massena Public Library. “Partnering with the SLL-BOCES enables the Massena Public Library to offer more help to adult job seekers in our community than we could ever provide on our own. In an area like the North Country, where there are a large number of people looking for new opportunities for work, it makes sense for us to join forces to provide the resources and support essential for making a successful transition to college or training or right into a new career.”

The unveiling is this Friday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Massena Public Library and the neighboring NYS Department of Labor building, both on Glenn Street in downtown Massena.

The event includes coffee and a tour of the “Massena Literacy Zone Welcome Center” and classroom facilities at the Department of Labor starting at 1 p.m., tours of the new Center for Career and Community Engagement at the Massena Public Library at 1:30 p.m., and a program presentation followed by refreshments, at 2 p.m. in the library.

Funded by the Open Society Foundations, a private international foundation, the Gateway Program is one of only eight such programs nationwide, and the only one in a rural community. It is designed to help adults gain the education and skills needed to transition into college, training programs, or a new career.

For more information, go to www.sllboces.org and click on “Adult Education,” or call (888) 360-7693.