Visit educateandelevate.org to view our featured success stories!  
Working together, coalescing around the mantra "Invest in Adult Education" through our six-time award winning national public awareness campaign, adult education received an increase of $35 million - the first increase in more than 15 years! Now, $25 million of additional funding for Title II under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act has been approved by the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee. The bipartisan bill will be voted on after July recess.
 
We also want to acknowledge that thousands of COABE members reached out to their legislators and played an important role in enabling our field to secure an additional $2.1 Billion in CTE funding! Click here for the full report .
 
We must continue to raise our voice! If you have contacted your legislator(s) previously, we urge you to do it again.  Click here to send an email or make a phone call to your legislator(s) TODAY.
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                                   www.coabe.org                                     August  2018
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August Webinars
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BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP: TITLE I AND II WORKING COLLABORATIVELY

DATE: Friday, August 10, 2018
TIME: 2:00 p.m. EDT



Pennsylvania is faced with the same challenges as other states across the country; many employers cannot find skilled workers to hire, and numerous job seekers have barriers to getting back into the labor force. This webinar will explore some data about the skills gap that Pennsylvania faces, especially with the challenges of helping to educate and upskill those with barriers to employment (such as low literacy levels or inconsistent work history). It will also outline a couple of solutions that adult educators and workforce development boards can invest in (such as integrated education and training) that will help bridge this skills gap and help our communities grow and will provide best practices that can be used across the nation.

PRESENTED BY: Jesse McCree AND Tim Shenk
   
______________________________________________


GO HYBRID NOW: BUILDING A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM AND INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ACTIVITIES

DATE: Tuesday, August 21, 2018
TIME: 2:00 p.m. EDT

Hybrid learning leads adult education students along the path to the digital independence needed for them to succeed in today's schools and workplaces while giving teachers the tools and control to target the skills their students need. In this session, participants will experience a fully-stocked virtual classroom that uses the free learning management system, Canvas. The key features of the classroom - assignments, quizzes, and content pages - will be explored. In addition, free and low-cost sites and online tools that can be added to the virtual classroom will be discussed. Activities using some of the free online tools will be demonstrated to provide a springboard for brainstorming how participants can use the tools and virtual classroom during face-to-face class time. Both the tech-troubled and tech-savvy are welcome.

PRESENTED BY: Tara Plouff


 

For all webinars, you will need your membership ID to register. Please contact info@coabe.org if you have questions.



Fear of math is harmful to your health. This woman wants to help.

Ellen Peters, a visiting scholar at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is writing a book, "Innumeracy in the Wild," and is a distinguished professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

Two plus two equals four? Easy.

How about this: You're supposed to take a medication either one hour before a meal or two hours after. It's noon, and you've just started lunch. When should you take the medication?

About 40 percent of participants in one U.S. study could not figure that out.

 
Access the special Career Pathways edition of the COABE Journal
HERE.


 
Read articles by leaders in the field, including Judy Mortrude, Johan Uvin, Silja Kallenbach and more. You can submit an article as well! Click HERE for more details. 
 

Seeds of Literacy, an adult literacy nonprofit in Cleveland, Ohio, is helping a Cleveland Foundation Team who is participating in the Knight Foundation Community Information Lab, a national Human Design Project. The Cleveland Foundation Team is studying information gaps around adult literacy in Cleveland. 
 
Seeds is searching for COABE members providing adult literacy services who have used innovative and successful ways to:
  • identify community ambassadors for student recruitment
  • efficiently use referral networks to increase enrollment
  • collect literacy data in neighborhoods or communities
  • or any other innovation that has improved your adult literacy services!
Please send your contact information and a brief description to Sharon Bonney, Executive Director of COABE, at sharonbonney@coabe.org. Thank you!



Need Help Working With Your Students?

Find lesson plans, videos, apps, conference presentations, and professional development resources uploaded by practitioners and expert presenters. Be sure to have your membership number handy to gain easy access! Click  HERE.


Adult Education Family Learning Specialist


 
The National Center for Families Learning, a private nonprofit organization located in Louisville, KY, is seeking a Family Learning Specialist to provide subject matter expertise in adult education and parent engagement for family literacy programs. Underlying expertise in effective family engagement practices and the ability to create and deliver high-quality professional development are requirements. Experience working with low income, culturally diverse, and/ or American Indian populations is highly desired.

Successful applicants will demonstrate a passion for NCFL's mission to address literacy challenges by engaging all family members in intergenerational learning, with a primary focus on parents and children living in poverty.

 



Leadership training available from the Institute for Educational Leadership.  
 
Click HERE for more details!   
 
 IEL and COABE, together with NASDAE are partners on the ground breaking Minds that Move Us initiative. Click HERE for more details. 


Join us on social media!  
Get the details HERE .


Your Membership ID #: 
Your Membership is Active Through: 

You will need your membership number to access all membership benefits, including:
  • viewing/accessing webinars
  • discounts on our virtual conference registration
  • ability to nominate individuals for awards valued at $10,000
  • insurance options  
  • downloading the COABE Journal
  • accessing and uploading to the Adult Educator Resources website
  • Mini grants and discounts on the 2019 national conference in New Orleans, LA
If you have any questions about your membership, please contact info@coabe.org or call 888-442-6223.
 

Members-Only Insurance Benefits
 
The Forrest T. Jones & Company offers many high-value plans chosen exclusively for your personal and professional needs.

Click here for more details.

Polly Smith (right), COABE Public Policy Chair, and Alaska Governor Walker at a local event at the Alaska Literacy Program.
 
 
Coming Soon: National Adult and Family Literacy Week September 24 - 29, 2018  
 
The intent of a nationally recognized week of concentrated events, activities, and media is to bring recognition to the field of adult and family literacy. It is our opportunity to highlight the value of the work we do and the people we serve. It gives us a reason to showcase our programs with policy and decision makers. We get to advocate!

At the national level you can join us for COABE on Capitol Hill Day, September 27. We are encouraging teams of an adult education provider and a student to join. If you are interested, please click here.

At the state level, invite your district representatives to your program. Include those from the districts where your students live.

At the local level invite your assemblyperson, the mayor, judges, and other people with whom you and your students might interact at the policy or decision making level.  At the program level honor your students, volunteers, and staff with special recognition through an event or a thank you.
Include the media and let the invitees know you have asked the media to come.

For all levels use the Educate and Elevate contact button here to easily send your invitation and material about your program and activities to your representatives at all levels. Use the Educate and Elevate toolkit for press releases, facts, and talking points. In your invitation tell the guest what you would like them to do. It is always a good idea to give them an assignment - talk to the students about an issue, meet with the citizenship classes and practice the interview questions, read a book or story. Prepare your students for the meeting. Include who is coming, why, what will you want to tell them? Always follow up with a thank you. You can watch our short webinar on the value of local level outreach here.
 
COABE will be sharing tools for Adult Ed and Family Literacy Week very shortly - stay tuned!
 
Additionally, we have launched a new award for advocacy, aimed at recognizing advocacy at the local level. The winner will receive a $2,000 stipend plus registration paid to attend COABE 2019! More details will be shared in our September update. 
 
Contact advocacy@coabe.org with questions.


Secretary DeVos: National Council for the American Worker Will Put America's Students First
 
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the following statement: 
 
"With today's announcement, President Trump continues to make good on his promise to put America's students and workers first. This Administration understands that a dynamic and changing economy requires dynamic and changing approaches to education and workforce development. The partnerships announced today involve those who are best-positioned to identify ideas and drive solutions. The President's new initiative helps engage leaders across diverse sectors in an effort to open new pathways and opportunities for America's students who should be free to pursue successful careers and meaningful lives." 
 
Looking for more information from the Department of Education? Sign Up For Email Updates here.


 

"It's worse than you think, more important than ever, but can be solved easily. There are hundreds of adult educators nationwide, doing our best to make every adult we come in contact with a success."  - Julie York
 
 

 
Scott Stump Confirmed as
New OCTAE Assistant Secretary


Scott Stump was confirmed by a  vote of 85-0 to be the next Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). ACTE, a national partner of COABE, had  endorsed Stump's nomination, and following the confirmation, released a  joint statement with Advance CTE applauding the bipartisan support he received.  

In remarks prior to the vote, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee,  stated that "Mr. Stump's resume shows he is a nominee qualified for this position." Following the confirmation, HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN)  tweeted that Stump "is the right person to implement Perkins CTE at the national level."

Secretary DeVos also  tweeted that she was "thrilled to welcome Scott Stump to [the Department of Education]." Noting his "qualifications & wealth of experience," she said that "[his] leadership will be critical as we work to expand the ed pathways available to all students throughout their lifelong learning journeys."

The confirmation comes on the heels of proposals from the Department of Education (ED) to  consolidate OCTAE into a primarily postsecondary office. ACTE strongly opposes the proposal and helped circulate  a letter signed by 25 organizations opposing the move. The Trump Administration also recently proposed  merging ED with the Department of Labor.
 
Perkins Reauthorization Webinar:
First Look at the New Law
Thursday, Aug. 2, 3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT

The President will soon sign legislation to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) after the House and Senate both passed identical versions of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. To mark the new law, ACTE is pleased to host an initial webinar covering the legislation's key components, which include a local needs assessment, changes to the accountability system, expansion to the middle grades, a CTE concentrator definition, and much more.
 
Please note this webinar will be available to view on demand following the live session. 
 
 


Congratulations to COABE's new
Strand Partner Chair!
Ms. Connie Rivera 

 

Connie Rivera facilitates opportunities for adult learners and their teachers that enable them to learn in new environments, discover connections, and develop greater understanding of the subject matter. Connie is proud to have served as president of the Adult Numeracy Network and as the Numeracy Strand Partner to COABE during her presidency. During her time of service as strand partner, Connie suggested new and innovative ideas that helped systematize and streamline the conference experience for strand partners and conference attendees. Connie is, perhaps, best known for her dedication to the field and desire for a standard of excellence.





WyLLA 2018 Summer Institute
 
August 7-9, 2018
 
Click HERE for more information!

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