This monograph for community educators is intended to provide a basic background in adult education and some of the basic principles of adult learning that will assist in development of more effective adult education programs. Section 1 focuses on the role of adult education, especially lifelong learning, and the community educator's role in adult education. A discussion of adult learning in section 2 describes some basic assumptions and implications about adults as learners, including importance of the adult's self-concept and the adult's readiness and orientation to learning. Section 3 considers five steps in program development: determining needs of adults, enlisting adult participation in planning, formulating goals and objectives, designing a program plan, and planning and carrying out evaluation. Selection and training of instructors are overviewed in section 4, while section 5 addresses evaluation, both its purposes and the process. (YLB)