Penn Foster Earns National ADEIL Award for Innovative Dental Assistant Course

Penn Foster's dental assistant program recognized for engaging curriculum and increased completion rates

PHOENIX, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental practices across the country will require close to 25,000 new dental assistants in the coming decade, signaling strong demand for skilled, job-ready workers. Penn Foster is addressing that need with flexible, career-aligned training that equips learners for success, a commitment recognized with the 2025 Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning (ADEIL) College Course Award for its Dental Terminology, Anatomy, and Charting course.

The ADEIL College Course Award honors courses that demonstrate excellence in pedagogy, innovation, and learner engagement. Penn Foster's redesigned dental course reflects these standards through interactive content, practical assessments, and real clinical scenarios. As part of the redesign, the team transformed a traditional, text-heavy experience into an engaging online learning journey tailored to aspiring dental assistants.

"At Penn Foster, we're constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of both students and employers. Our redesigned dental assistant courses are built on core elements like workforce impact and data-driven design," said Kermit Cook, CEO of Penn Foster Group. "This award is a fantastic recognition of our commitment to providing flexible learning pathways that lead to real-world success for our graduates."

Grounded in research-backed learning design, the dental assistant program was rebuilt around five core pillars: learner-centered, authentic, active, differentiated, and skills-based learning. The curriculum integrates hands-on skill development, student and instructor feedback, and performance analytics to ensure alignment with employer expectations.

The program enhancements also reflect broader changes in the dental industry. As demand grows for preventive care, same-day dentistry, and digital workflow integration, employers are prioritizing assistants who can adapt quickly and support more efficient clinical operations. Penn Foster's redesign ensures learners build the competencies needed to meet these evolving needs.

This approach has already shown strong results. In pilot courses built on this model, completion rates increased from 73 to 92%, with similar gains across other redesigned programs. By pairing flexible coursework with real-world application, the program helps students build confidence and develop key competencies in clinical practice, digital proficiency, patient interaction, and safety protocols.

As part of Penn Foster's broader effort to strengthen career pathways across industries, the redesigned dental assistant courses focus on core elements that support student and employer needs:

• Workforce Impact: Addresses national shortages by preparing learners for high-demand dental assistant roles.
• Innovative Curriculum: Bridges the gap between theory and clinical practice with hands-on tasks and real scenarios.
• Data-Driven Redesign: Uses performance analytics to improve completion rates and engagement.
• Flexible Learning: Allows students to progress at their own pace while balancing personal and professional obligations.

"A tremendous effort by all nominees this year, and the ADEIL committee commends the hard work of instructors and design teams collaborating to create these high-quality offerings for their students," said Morgan Johnson, ADEIL Awards Committee.

This recognition reinforces Penn Foster's commitment to high-quality, career-focused education that equips learners with the skills they need to succeed in today's most in-demand industries.

For more information about Penn Foster's Dental Assistant Career Diploma program, visit https://www.pennfoster.edu. To learn more about the ADEIL Awards and see the full list of 2025 winners, visit https://adeil.org/join-adeil.

About Penn Foster Group
At Penn Foster Group, we are transforming online learning to help learners by bringing together Penn Foster, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, and other education platforms. Together, we create pathways to greater economic mobility through real-world skills and knowledge that may enable them to achieve long-term success in the workplaces of the future. Our history dates back to 1890 when our founder, Thomas Foster, pioneered distance education by offering training by mail for coal miners to get the necessary skills for safer jobs. Today, with the partners who use our education and training programs, we continue that mission of providing accessible training and education for in-demand skills and are building a workforce that's prepared for the future job market.

About Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning
The Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning is a professional association for anyone engaged in or interested in distance education. The organization's goal is to provide professional development opportunities, as well as opportunities for collegiality and interaction.

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SOURCE Penn Foster Group