Newsletter | September 2026

Statewide Distance IELCE Program

IU13 Community Education is administering a Statewide Distance Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) program for English learners across the state with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Adult Education. Registration and enrollment start September 28 with classes beginning in October. IU13 is seeking referrals for prospective students who may benefit from these free educational opportunities.

All IELCE classes are completely online with both morning and daytime options. Please contact Josh McManness at josh_mcmanness@iu13.org or 717-947-1231 with questions or to refer students. When you contact him, Mr. McManness will provide you with an online registration form.

TEACHING TIPS & RESOURCES

Support for Supplemental Distance Learning (SDL)

Did you know that there are five different ways for PDE-funded adult education agencies to get SDL-related support from the Digital Literacy and Distance Education (DLDE) project? From direct support to resources that you can access independently, DLDE has a suite of services available to help your team use SDL effectively, and they are all outlined in a new resource on the PAAER website's Distance Education page. Use this new document to pinpoint areas of SDL you’d like to improve, explore the types of support that are available, and find links to request support.

Using Technology Intentionally in the Classroom

We want our students to be tech-savvy and prepared for the workforce, so it is important for learners to use technology in the adult education classroom. Some teachers, however, have seen how easily students, even adult learners, can succumb to the temptation and distraction of phones and screens in the classroom when personal messages and apps are just a click away. Teachers are finding they need to be intentional about when to use technology and when they might want to use non-tech-based resources to best support learning objectives. A recent Edutopia article titled 23 Ways to Unplug and Prioritize Paper Over Screens explains almost two dozen ideas for how teachers are choosing to use technology intentionally and use non-tech-based resources like notebooks, journals, sticky notes, and other materials to create learning opportunities that do not rely on technology but are still engaging and effective.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

AI Virtual Summer with COABE

The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) will host an AI Virtual Summit October 6, 10:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., to bring together adult education practitioners, thought leaders, innovators, and partners to discuss and explore the AI practices, tools, opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations that exist for adult education. View the schedule to learn about the seven different sessions to be held and register online.

Webinar: Creative Connections - Engaging Families in Home Literacy Through the Arts

With a mix of research and hands-on strategies, the National Center for Families Learning will discuss how school leaders can make arts integration a seamless, everyday tool for building foundational literacy at home in a webinar on September 29 at 2:00 p.m. This webinar, titled Creative Connections: Engaging Families in Home Literacy Through the Arts, will offer simple, low-cost, and practical strategies that families can begin to implement immediately. Register online today.

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.

THE WORKFORCE WIRE

PA CareerLink® Day

On September 3, 2027, many PA CareerLink® locations had special events and job fairs to celebrate PA CareerLink® Day. Alexis Vang and Chrissie Klinger from the Workforce Development System Liaison Project had the opportunity to visit PA CareerLink® locations in Scranton and Sunbury, PA. In Scranton, job seekers were able to gather a multitude of resources, including the NEW spiral bound A Guide to Transferable Skills: A Transferable Skills Workbook for Adult Learners. After gathering resources and talking with people who could provide job search and job preparation assistance, participants were able to go to the parking lot filled with employers to inquire about employment opportunities. In Sunbury, job seekers were able to tour an adult education classroom that is co-located at the site and talk with CSIU16 adult education program staff. They also had a job fair and other PA CareerLink® partner staff to answer questions and share resources with both job seekers and employers. If your agency would like support with engaging in PA CareerLink® activities and events and/or would like copies of the NEW A Guide to Transferable Skills: A Transferable Skills Workbook for Adult Learners, contact Chrissie Klinger at cok5111@psu.edu.

STATE AND NATIONAL ADULT EDUCATION NEWS

September Division Webinar Topic Resource

The Division of Adult Education monthly webinar on September 17 discussed, among other topics, the Barriers to Employment categories on the intake form, including definitions and why we collect this information. To further clarify those definitions, in the 26-27 eData Manual/Glossary on the PAAER website, you can find full versions of the definitions of each barrier and directions for data entry (pages 28 and 64).

2027 Correctional Education Association Forum

The Correctional Education Association (CEA) will hold their annual Forum in Charleston, SC, April 4-6, 2027. See the conference schedule or watch the CEA website for registration details.

PA ADULT EDUCATION RESOURCES

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

UPCOMING STATE & NATIONAL CONFERENCES

NCFL Families Learning Conference - November 8-11, 2026 - San Antonio, TX - In-person
PennTESOL East Conference - November 13-14, 2026 - Philadelphia, PA - In-person
CEA Forum - April 4-6, 2027 - Charleston, SC - In-person
COABE National Conference - April 11-24, 2027 - New Orleans, LA - In-person
PAACE Conference - April 26-27, 2027 - State College, PA - In-person

STATE & 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.

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

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

Sept. 11 | Aug. 31 | Aug. 21

COABE Connects, Digital Equity, Coalition on Adult Basic Education

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

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.

August 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.

Sept. 17 | Sept. 15

CEA National News & Notes

Features news and national information from the Correctional Education Association.

September Newsletter

This newsletter is a result of a project developed by the Communications Project which is managed by the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 through a contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Education; however, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of TIU 11 or the Pennsylvania Department of Education. No official endorsement of these agencies should be inferred.