Castro Valley Adult School
Vision Statement
June 2007

Castro Valley Adult School is dedicated to researching and developing learning opportunities that are responsive to the needs of individuals, employers, and service agencies in our East Bay community.  In addition to offering quality classes that enrich the lives of individuals and the community as a whole, we provide instruction that fosters socially and environmentally responsible behavior and engenders joy in the pursuit of learning. 

Upon arriving at the Alma Campus, visitors are impressed by our clean and inviting school grounds.  The lovely roses and fountain in the upper campus capture the eye and delight the senses.  Well appointed flower and vegetable gardens in the lower campus provide an attractive and inviting backdrop for pursuing one’s educational dreams. This pleasant physical environment is enhanced by comfortable well-equipped classrooms and offices where technology is used to extend learning and to provide exceptional customer service.  Additionally, our school promotes the conservation of California’s precious resources through an exemplary recycling program – a partnership between the Adults with Disabilities students, the Sanitary District, and East Bay Regional Parks.  

Quality facilities are matched by quality personnel.  A skilled professional office staff offers friendly and efficient service.  Every instructor is credentialed, highly trained in his/her curricular area, and utilizes innovative and effective instructional strategies appropriate to student learning needs and abilities.  Instructors help students develop critical thinking, problem solving, and oral and written communication skills.  Furthermore, students are able to develop and refine their abilities to search, sort, filter and prioritize information.  Lessons promote creativity and innovation, thus better enabling students to adapt to a complex and changing world.  Instructors regularly assess learners’ progress and by the end of each class, insure that students understand the concepts being taught and how to apply those concepts to real-life situations. 

Course offerings at Castro Valley Adult School are relevant and developmentally appropriate for the wide variety of students at our many instructional sites.  This diverse selection of courses includes education for adults with disabilities, English language learners, parents, students in need of a high school diploma or GED certification, active adults 50+, individuals needing specific career and technical training, and those pursuing courses of general interest such as music and foreign languages.  We also promote balanced lifestyles through courses that focus on nutrition, current health information, and physical and mental fitness. 
 
Outreach into the community is manifest in a very tangible way as many classes take place in skilled nursing homes, at the Kenneth Aitken Senior Center, and in numerous other public and private facilities.  Medical students can be seen practicing their skills in clinical settings, and alumni from office and technical classes are successfully employed or have advanced in their professions as a result of their training.  Adults with Disabilities students assist in parks and businesses and can be heard confidently interacting with community members. These educational partnerships enable us to provide a broad spectrum of instruction throughout the Valley, and, in the case of convalescent patients, to bring relevant and stimulating curriculum to people who are otherwise unable to attend classes.