Somerville Adult Learners Graduate Wednesday

On Wednesday, about 80 adult learners, ranging in age from 21 to 60, will attend a graduation ceremony and receive a high school equivalency degree, a GED, from the Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences, otherwise known as SCALE.

It will be SCALE's 39th graduation ceremony, and this year it will take place at Tufts University's Granoff Music Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

"We really do embody the word 'adult,'" said Janice Philpott, supervisor of SCALE, talking about the age range of this year's students.

The 60-year-old who's graduating "really wanted to be a role model for their kids and their grandkids," Philpott said. This particular graduate was motivated to pursue a GED, at an age when many people are contemplating retirement, to show the importance of education and lifelong learning, she said.

Usually held at the Somerville High School auditorium, the ceremony has moved to Tufts this year because the auditorium, damaged in 2012's Hurricane Sandy, has not been functional since the storm.

In fact, 200 people passed the GED tests in Somerville this year, but space limitations at Tufts mean the ceremony will be restricted to 80 graduates, according to Philpott.

Those 80 attending Wednesday's ceremony are students who took classes with the program, she said. Others who pass the GED study on their own time and simply sit for the tests in Somerville.

However, in January of 2014, when the high school's auditorium is up and running again, SCALE will hold a larger graduation ceremony for everyone.

Wednesday's ceremony will include a speaking program and awards.