November 20, 2019
Helping the Sandwich Generation
Many of our students are members of the Sandwich Generation. Almost half of American adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a child or financially supporting a grown child. And about 15% of adults are providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child. That is the Sandwich Generation - sandwiched between taking care of both their own children and their aging parents.

Not only are many of our students in the Sandwich Generation, many of us and our colleagues are as well. It is increasingly common and not unique to modern America. Living in this situation, though it can bring great joy, can also be stressful emotionally and financially. By entering into supportive conversations with our students who we know experience Sandwich Generation-related stress, we can help alleviate that stress through camaraderie and perhaps help them find local supportive services.

Turn this topic into a learning opportunity in the classroom. An article could be used in a summarizing activity and a video could be used for notetaking. Soft skills could be practiced as students listen and empathize with one another. If interest or need is great enough, a guest speaker could be arranged on the topics of childcare or elder care.

A Google search for the term "Sandwich Generation" yields many articles and videos that could be helpful to us or to our students. One example is Sandwich Generation: 9 Tips for Managing Your Unique Stress. The tips provided there are general, but are a good place to start a discussion, focusing on taking care of oneself in order to be ready to take care of others. The presenter of a TEDx talk asks her audience not to try to be their parents' parent. We should not alter our familial roles, but rather learn to grow as our situations change.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's webpage for Aging Services can direct you towards a variety of services and their Area Agency on Aging Locator can help you get in touch with the right people locally across the state. However, simply introducing the term and starting a conversation about the struggles of being sandwiched between two generations might be the most help we can give.
Teaching Tips and Resources
ESL and Math Instructional Pilot
In order to better serve ESL learners who seek to improve their math skills and knowledge, Pennsylvania is piloting two instructional approaches. If you are interested in working with coaches from the Professional Learning Opportunities Project in this pilot, please share this information with your agency administrator and ask them to complete the  interest survey  and email it to Christine Houck at  [email protected]  by November 27, 2019. The interest survey also provides more information about the pilot. If you have any questions, please contact Hanna Schlosser at  [email protected] .
eData error message when importing
Due to a Windows update late last week, you may experience an error message when importing data into the eData Access Database template. The message says "Run-time error '3340': Querry " is corrupt." This message is a result of the aforementioned Windows update and is not a real error in Access. To bypass the error message, simply click on the "End" button in the error message, and the template should then display a message that the template has updated successfully. This message should have no impact on your data and you should be able to continue to use the template as before. The only noticeable effect at this time is that the  Last Update  and  eData Download  dates on the main form will not update to reflect your new data. However, this does not impact your actual data in the template.
 
Microsoft is aware of the issue and noted they are working on a fix tentatively planned for a December 10 release. Until the fix from Microsoft becomes available, you may continue to use the template and bypass the error message by following the steps described above. If you have questions, you can contact the eData Tech Support Line at 1-877-857-8869 or   [email protected] .
Responding to tense communications
A recent Edutopia article, Responding Calmly to Upset Parents , is written by a middle school principal. However, the five tips that it provides can easily apply to any tense communication that we could receive in the realm of adult education. Sometimes students send an email or confront us in person in a way that may feel like an attack but it is important to respond calmly and fairly in order to help, and not escalate the problem with an improper response.
Amazon jobs available for students
Amazon has announced seasonal jobs that could be obtained by our students across Pennsylvania. Jobs such as delivery driver or warehouse associate that pay $15-$25/hour and job seekers can apply online .
Census 2020 jobs available for students
Last month, we presented resources to help us discuss the 2020 census with our students. Now jobs assisting with Census 2020 are available. A diploma or high school equivalency is not required, though English proficiency is. Spanish speakers are also needed. You can find more information and apply online .
High School Equivalency (HSE) Updates and Resources
Webinar and resources for GED® RLA Extended Response
A recent Tuesdays for Teachers webinar by the GED Testing Service® could be of great help to anyone who helps students prepare for the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) portion of the GED® test. The webinar recording and related resources provide an in-depth analysis of the RLA Extended Response as well as tips for how you can help your students succeed. The webinar's PowerPoint and classroom practice prompts are available. To view the resources, go to the Tuesdays for Teachers webinar page and find the blue box for Building Success on the RLA Extended Response - It's All About the Claim .
Professional Development Opportunities
PAACE Conference registration is open
Registration is now open for the 2020 annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE). The conference will be held in Lancaster, PA on March 30-31. A lower-priced Early Bird Rate is available until January 4, 2020.
PAACE accepting Conference proposals until November 30
With the PAACE Conference approaching on March 30-31, 2020, PAACE will continue to accept session proposals until November 30, 2019. If you have an idea that you want to share with colleagues, consider submitting a proposal online .
PWDA Annual Employment, Training, and Education Conference
The PA Workforce Development Association’s (PWDA) Annual Employment, Training and Education Conference will be held in Hershey, PA on May 13-15, 2020 and feature more than 50 workshops as well as speakers and networking opportunities across the workforce development system. Much of the training will focus on emerging workforce challenges as Pennsylvania strives to maintain a competitive workforce in a global economy. Learn more about the annual conference online .
State and National Adult Education News
WIOA cross-training plan
On October 10, 2019 a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) cross-agency team of presenters unveiled a PA CareerLink System cross-training plan at the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) Symposium held at the Penn Stater. The plan would allow partners to have access to the same on-demand asynchronous trainings to “help increase co-enrollment statewide, provide consistent information and opportunities to all partners (WIOA core and others) about partner services, eligibility requirements, referrals, service coordination, and data sharing.” Christine Houck, KayLynn Hamilton, Destiny Simpson, and Chrissie Klinger represented Title II at the symposium presentation and continue to work collaboratively with other WIOA partner representatives to develop the on-demand modules. The team will share a sample cross-training module at the PWDA Annual Conference in May 2020. 
The Apprenticeship Summit
The Apprenticeship Summit was recently held in Hershey with more than 600 workforce development partners attending to learn the latest developments about apprenticeship in Pennsylvania. In addition to four rounds of breakout sessions, attendees heard from Governor Tom Wolf, national experts, and employers as they presented the benefits and challenges of apprenticeship. Read more.
COABE Journal Fall 2019 Leadership Edition
Leadership can take many forms. The Fall 2019 edition of the Coalition On Adult Basic Education (COABE) Journal focuses on the topic of leadership. Its articles present principles and examples of leadership, all written by adult education practitioners, and it highlights best practices for leaders in the classroom and in organizations.
Grants and Scholarships
PAACE Conference mini-grants
The 2020 PAACE Conference will be held on March 30-31, 2020 in Lancaster, PA. Registration is now open . A $15,000 Dollar General grant has made mini-grants possible that can cover the conference registration cost in full. You can apply online . Applications will be judged by December 1, and winners will be notified by email by December 15.
Job Posting
The job postings below are for adult basic education programs funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and, at least in part, by WIOA Title II funds. You can also find the postings on the  paadultedresources.org  website. To post a job, please email the job advertiseme nt to  [email protected] . 

PA Adult Education Resources
Upcoming State and National Conferences
State and National Newsletters
State and national organizations' newsletters are listed below and may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter. 

OCTAE Connection, US Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education Features news and resources for adult basic, career, and technical education

World Education/U.S. Features resources and information from World Education projects including The Change Agent, College for Adults, EdTech Center, National College Transitional network, and many others

Families Learning: News of the Week, National Center for Families Learning
Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education

Workforce GPS, Workforce3 One Features career pathways and workforce development information

COABE Journal, Coalition On Adult Basic Education Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education