As Chatelain affirms, creating a beautiful space for learning does reflect the value and respect a school should have for its learners. At the ALP, we wish to create a “sacred space” for learning because we believe that each woman in our program is sacred and has every right take up space. Our understanding of the word “sacred” is analogous to one of Webster’s dictionary definitions meaning “worthy of respect (2004).” Do the spaces of adult literacy programs reflect the value and worth that the administration and staff have for their learners? Many adult literacy programs, usually due to lack of funds, have a “make-do space (Horsman, 2000).” In fact, I am not familiar with any spaces in the Metro Boston area that were specifically created and intended for adult literacy learners. One literacy program I know of used to be a high school. Other literacy programs share space with elementary schools, YMCAs, Boys and Girls clubs, and, like ours, multi-service centers.

The agency, in which our Adult Learner Program resides, was formerly a convent. Our main classroom was the chapel for the sisters who lived there. Like many buildings in Metro Boston, the convent is old. The chapel that is now our classroom was beautiful prior to renovation, but the walls, shelves, and altar collected dust and dirt over the years. The carpet was dark and had not had a thorough cleaning. The curtains were also dusty, dark, and did not allow sunlight to enter the room. The walls were a light mustard color, which may have originally been white. Electrical sockets are few and far between in the classroom, so extension chords were stretched from wall to wall throughout the classroom. The chairs were unstable and many had rips. At the time, we tried our best to make the atmosphere comfortable given our budget. We added halogen lamps, round tables to hold discussions, and brought in plants to add “life” to the atmosphere.