About MACAE

Mission

  • To promote the professional growth and intellectual development of adult learners, educators, and facilitators within a shared network.
  • To serve as an advocate for adults in gaining access to educational resources and opportunities.
  • To faster among adults an understanding of critical issues facing society and why they should be involved.
  • To advance lifelong learning and its values with a special focus on continuing adult education.
  • To improve the practice of adult education.
  • To collaborate with individuals and organizations to promote quality educational experiences for adult learners.

Vision

MACAE is a professional association that provides social and intellectual vitality to its members who are involved in adult education. Our members work in community, continuing, secondary and higher education; libraries; ESL; diploma programs; nonprofit agencies; business enterprises; and others. Our members are administrators, instructors, facilitators, counselors, students, writers, and librarians.

MACAE History

George Santayana said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The Minnesota Association for Continuing Adult Education is fortunate to have three historians as shepherds of its history to ensure that as we journey through the 21st century, we build on our past and not repeat it.

A few years ago, Bella Hanson and Ben Bryant took on the monumental task of updating the MACAE History begun and maintained by Harlan Copeland. Though it was an arduous task, the results are certainly worth the effort that all of our historians put into creating a history that is eminently readable, complete, and indicative of the passion that the past and present members of MACAE have for adult education. I invite you to learn, enjoy, and reflect on MACAE’s history. I further invite you to become part of it!

Leslie Shore, MACAE Past President