Mary Russell of Chesterton and Ken Woodruff of Valparaiso recently received state awards at the Indiana Adult and Continuing Education Association annual conference in Muncie.

Adult education teacher, Mary Russell, was honored with the Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year Award.

Russell, has been involved in adult education for more than 30 years. In addition to teaching adults in Valparaiso, New Chicago, and most recently, Portage, Russell also operated a preschool in Chesterton for many years.

She is involved not only in teaching her students, but encouraging them, helping with their life needs and enabling them to set and achieve goals. An Athena award winner for excellence in her profession, Russell is a long-time member of IAACE. She has participated in many professional development opportunities and uses what she learns to enrich her students. She has practiced innovative techniques in education bringing her varied life-experiences to her profession.

Russell’s current students and associates recognized her award with flowers, a large card and display and a home cooked dinner at her adult learning center in Portage.

Retired Director of Portage Adult Education, Ken Woodruff of Valparaiso, was presented the John Craddock Award for lifetime achievement in adult education.

Woodruff was one of the first teachers in the Portage Adult Education system at its beginning 41 years ago. His interest in helping adults become educated, informed citizens led to his assuming the directorship of the program. Over his more than 20-year tenure, the program grew into one of the largest in the state, serving thousands of people in six counties.

He has been a tireless advocate for adult education, lobbying the state legislature for much-needed funding, as well as serving on advisory councils and collaborative groups supporting adult education. He also was instrumental in founding the Northwest Indiana Literacy Coalition, the precursor of the Indiana Literacy Foundation. He created and was first president of the Adult Education Administrators’ Association and was active in creating the IAACE.

Posted 5/19/2003