Research/Report
Author(s): Jennifer Kobrin, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Paul Barrett, The Welcome Table, Philadelphia, PA; John Boccanfuso, The Welcome Table, Philadelphia PA
This article explores approaches and related challenges to designing adult education programming that is authentically learner-centered through the lens of The Welcome Table (TWT), a community resource center in a low-income community in Philadelphia. As part of a social justice-oriented, Episcopal middle school, TWT’s adult education program is influenced by Freirean approaches to being community-directed and led. By providing ongoing opportunities to understand adult learners’ needs, we describe how the program strives to create equitable learning opportunities that reflect the voices of the community. We then offer a nuanced perspective on the challenges of community-based adult education that is genuinely learner-centered by reflecting on emergent tensions. These tensions include the power dynamics that exist when White and/or middle-class outsiders design and teach programs in marginalized communities of color, and our expansion from a more materially-based program distributing food to lifelong learning. The article concludes with recommendations for adult education programs interested in adopting more learner-centered approaches.