Our Mission
The 431 Exchange is a nonprofit organization co-founded by Jeff and Jeanne Geoffray, dedicated to advocating for equal and affordable access to adult education for all Americans. Its mission centers on providing scholarships to adult learners—including those who are heads of households or returning to school after long absences—and on honoring the legacy of the Adult Education Center (AEC) in New Orleans, which operated from 1965 to 1972.
The organization not only supports contemporary adult scholars through direct financial assistance but also educates the public about the transformative power of adult education. It achieves this through storytelling, such as in the upcoming documentary Exchange Place and related public history projects. These efforts celebrate past AEC graduates who overcame adversity and systemic barriers to integrate the white-collar workforce, often for the first time in the Deep South.
Steps Forward
The 431 Exchange is a multi-pronged, mission-driven organization. We have regular events that unite alumni of the Adult Education Center with members of local communities in order to share and contextualize the value of adult education – both during the Civil Rights Era and in today's world.
We have also created a book that relates the triumphant story of our former students and founder Alice Geoffray; it is a story of perseverance and optimism, and is powerful enough to change the very narrative around adult education in this country.