Artificial Intelligence (AI) Community of Practice

Join a new AI Community of Practice (CoP) designed for all adult education staff. Led by the Digital Literacy and Distance Education (DLDE) project, this collaborative space will focus on building knowledge, sharing best practices, and exploring how AI can support teaching, learning, and program operations. The first session will be on Thursday, June 11, 2:00-3:30 p.m., with further meetings on the second Thursday of every other month. The first session will introduce key AI resources, discuss how AI is currently being used in adult education, and gather input to guide future CoP topics. Register today using the button below.

Also, a new AI page with resources for adult educators will be launched on the PAAER website soon. Be sure to look for the announcement and use resources to help inform your and your learners’ use of AI.

2026 Families Learning Conference

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) will hold the 2026 Families Learning Conference in San Antonio, TX, November 8-11, 2026. The conference aims to combine innovative ideas and real-world practice. Learn more at the conference website and register with the early bird rate through June 30.

Upcoming Professional Learning for Adult Education and Family Literacy Staff

Staff at PDE-funded adult education and family literacy agencies can view a list of upcoming courses now available for enrollment in the PD Portal. For more information about any of these courses, please visit the PD Portal, open the course catalog, and view the syllabus. If you are interested in enrolling in a course, please consult with your in-house professional development specialist (IHPDS) to determine if the course meets your professional learning goals.

Trauma-Informed Service Delivery to Support Customer Goals

Workforcestafftraining.com has just released a new course: Trauma-Informed Service Delivery to Support Customer Goals. The course was developed in partnership by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Department of Labor and Industry (L&I). It is written from an educational perspective and examines how using trauma-informed service delivery can help support individuals in reaching their goals. The course has three modules:



Part 1 - Overview of Trauma

Part 2 - Best Practices for Trauma-Informed Service Delivery

Part 3 - Supporting Trauma-Informed Service Delivery with Partners

The estimated time to complete all three modules is one hour. Additional support with courses in the workforcestafftraining.com portal is available through the Workforce Development Liaison Project. For more information, contact Loretta (lml160@psu.edu).

Presentation Proposals for COABE 2027

The 2027 annual conference for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) will be April 11-24, 2027, in New Orleans, LA. You can apply to present at the conference before July 31, 2026. Presentations can be for three types of sessions: a concurrent session (70 minutes), a pre-conference half-day session (3 hours), or a pre-conference full-day session (6 hours) and can be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of both. The conference will offer several strands that your session can fit into. If you are interested in applying to present at COABE 2027, learn more and apply before July 31.

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 PAAER website. To post a job, please email the job advertisement to mjmanfred@tiu11.org. 

• Digital Literacy Assessment Specialist - Vita Education Services

Visit PAAER.org for the latest PA adult education news and resources. Recent additions to the site include:

• Division of Adult Education April 16 webinar recording and slides
• Integrated Education and Training (IET) Development Series YouTube playlist

• Level Up GED^® Conference - July 29-31, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - In-person
• CEA International Conference & Training Event - August 2-4, 2026 - Bellevue, WA - In-person
• NCFL Families Learning Conference - November 8-11, 2026 - San Antonio, TX - In-person
• COABE National Conference - April 11-24, 2027 - New Orleans, LA - In-person

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. 

Families Learning, News of the Week, National Center for Families Learning

Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education.

May 8 | Apr. 30 | Apr. 24

Adult and Family Literacy Today

Features updates on adult and family literacy research, policy, and practice from the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy.

April Newsletter

World Education/U.S.

Features resources and information from World Education projects, including EdTech Center News, The Change Agent, College for Adults, E-Learning, LINCS Region 1 Professional Development Center, National College Transition Network, and many others. 

May 7 | Apr. 27

COABE Connects, Digital Equity, Coalition on Adult Basic Education

Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education.

May 15 | May 8 | May 1 | April Compass Newsletter | Apr. 24