WV Dept. of Ed. Honors Excellence in Adult Education Programs
Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education recognized outstanding achievement in adult education at the 2026 West Virginia Adult Education Association Awards Ceremony in Charleston. Held as part of the 30th annual West Virginia Adult Education Conference, the ceremony honored exceptional students as well as county-level programs and individual educators for their commitment to supporting adult learners to achieve success.
This year’s honorees include:
Adult Education Program of the Year
- Raleigh County Adult Education – Full-time Program Category
- Mineral County Adult Education – Part-time Category
Part-time programs feature 20 hours or less of classroom instruction each week.
Adult Education Excellence in Student Achievement
- Gabrielle Stover – Boone County
ESOL Excellence in Student Achievement
Highlights the academic journey of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Nilar Aung – Hardy County
- Kateryna Khoroshylova – Kanawha County
ESOL Program of the Year
- Kanawha County
Excellence in Collaborative Partnership
- Jill Ash – Tyler County Family Resource Network
SPOKES Program of the Year
Strategic Planning in Occupational Knowledge for Employment and Success (SPOKES)
- Harrison County
- Wood County
SPOKES Student of the Year
- Auri Retana – Mercer County
West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition Program of the Year
- Lakin Correctional Center – Mason County
Michele L. Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools“Adult Education changes lives by giving people a chance to build new skills and create new opportunities for themselves at any age. The adult education awards ceremony allows the community to recognize the students who continue to learn and grow and the dedicated professionals who work each day to help them succeed.”