Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy
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Cultural Festival, Washington D.C.
Upcoming Greenhouse Meetings (webinars)
Monday, May 27, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern time
Monday, May 27, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern time
How Adult Foundational Education Networks Can Support Learner Leadership
Register >
We will begin with a brief overview of why and how adult foundational education (AFE) programs might make the development of adult learner leadership an important part of their missions. We’ll then learn how two AFE programs in Muskegon, MI, and across communities nationally, support learners as leaders and how other AFE programs and coalitions might do so. We’ll set aside time for interaction between the presenters and attendees. Attendees are encouraged to visit the presenters’ websites listed below prior to this session, to familiarize themselves with the presenters’ work.
Presented by: Melissa Moore, Executive Director, Read Muskegon, readmuskegon.org; Anna May Lathrop, Adult Learner Leader, Rosa Guzman Snyder, Co-founder and Principal Consultant, Community Language Cooperative, communitylanguagecoop.com; Paul Jurmo, Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy Steering Committee
Recent and Past Recorded Greenhouse Meetings (webinars)
The Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy has hosted the following recorded Greenhouse Meetings (webinars). You will find links below to the recordings, and/or to slides that were presented. Each Greenhouse Meeting includes an opportunity for questions, comments and conversations. For more information, contact us at urbanallianceforadultliteracy@gmail.com
Topics to date, (most recent listed first) have included:
How Adult Foundational (Literacy) Education Networks Can Support Urban Environmental Sustainability.
Presented on Tuesday May 6, 2025,
The Greenhouse Meeting began with a brief overview of the “who’s, why’s, and how’s” of collaborations between adult foundational (literacy) education providers and “eco-partners” (stakeholders who in various ways support environmental sustainability and green jobs). This was followed by a presentation of Roots of Success a national program that helps adults and youth succeed in green jobs and support environmental sustainability more generally. Registrants were encouraged to prepare for this session by viewing the Roots of Success website ( https://rootsofsuccess.org ) and reading Greening U.S. Adult Basic Skills Efforts: How Eco-Partners and Adult Educators Can Work Together (https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/4b259097-f77f-4c70-813c-4cff11dc6161/downloads/ODC%20Eco-Partners%20Can-Do%20Guide%209-30-19.pdf?ver=1744224323180 ).
Presenters:
Raquel Pinderhughes, Ph.D.: Professor of Urban Studies & Planning, San Francisco State University and Founder & Executive Director of Roots of Success: https://rootsofsuccess.org
Paul Jurmo, Ed.D: Adult educator with special interest and experience in this workshop’s topic and member of the Steering Committee of the Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy: https://pauljurmo.info
Recording will be found at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eJ42AVUhIm3NFP_GKnvyndG_w0qL3UVu/view?usp=sharing
How Urban AFE Networks Support Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Updates from Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois
Presented on Friday, March 28, 2025
Continuing the Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy series on the theme of “adult foundational education (AFE) for immigrants and refugees,” representatives of two urban AFE coalitions (networks) described the immigrant and refugee communities they try to support, how those networks are working with partners to serve them and lessons the partnerships have learned along the way.
Presenters:
Brooke Machado is Senior Program Manager for Adult Education in Boston’s Office of Workforce Development. She oversees adult education initiatives for Boston Mayor’s Worker Empowerment Cabinet and manages the Adult Literacy Initiative (ALI), a coalition of 33 Boston-based adult education providers.
Becky Raymond is the Executive Director of scaleLIT (formerly the Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition). She oversees the organization's portfolio of programs in health literacy, workforce development and adult literacy.
Recording will be found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ztf3tX5SpZ4s0wGJkd6pbFvRnAPxqRrU/view?usp=drive_link
Slides will be found at:
and
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1llml-VRi8-5oZw15ooAzn6C3VoAn4M9i/view?usp=sharing
How Urban AFE Networks Support Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Updates from Roanoke, Virginia and Grand Rapids, Michigan
Presented on Jan 29, 2025 by Ahoo Salem and Wendy V. Falb. The (three sets of) slides will be found at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1n84FkYmORV5AZndj7zP4auKH8GhLVZiq?usp=sharing
A recording of the webinar, unfortunately, is not available.
Description:
Representatives of two urban adult foundational education networks or partnerships talked about the immigrant and refugee communities they try to support, how those networks are working with partners to serve them and lessons the partnerships have learned along the way. This follows up on two Urban Alliance immigration-focused Greenhouse Meetings (Webinars) held on October 11 and 18, 2024. (See Past Recorded Greenhouse Meetings below for recordings.)
Presenters:
Ahoo Salem, Ph.D: Ahoo is the Executive Director of Blue Ridge Literacy (BRL), a non-profit organization based in the Roanoke, Virginia, Main Library that leverages partnerships to provide English literacy services and to bridge informational gaps for adults in Southwest Virginia. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Milan University, Italy, specializing in immigrant integration and equitable resource access.
Wendy VerHage Falb, Ph.D: Wendy is the Executive Director of the Literacy Center of West Michigan, the largest CBO for adult literacy in Michigan serving 1300 adults annually. Deeply committed to equitable educational outcomes for all, Wendy served as president of the Grand Rapids Public Board of Education as well as on other civic and community boards. Wendy has a Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University, specializing in poetry and cultural theory.
Through Advocacy, How Urban AFE Coalitions (Networks or initiatives) Can Increase State and Local Public Funding for Member Programs and/or for Their Coalition
Presented on January 17, 2025
Link to Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I_PMQyoY_e29GSzwXQwcj7CJIHaWOK-B/view?usp=sharing
Link to slides: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OPtkT2VIiwdC0o9F2avtfD2g1p63Z_ei?usp=sharing
Description:
This was the first in a series of Greenhouse Meetings (webinars) about advocacy, e.g. strategies our field uses to generate financial support for our work from public (local, state or federal government) and non-governmental sources. This one features AFE organizations at state and urban levels that have successfully generated such supports.
Presenters:
Ira Yankwitt has taught high school equivalency, managed a community-based adult literacy program, and trained teachers and administrators. He is a longtime adult literacy advocate. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of the Literacy Assistance Center in 2012, he was the Executive Director of Program Initiatives for the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Adult and Continuing Education. He plays a lead role in the New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCCAL), and he is the architect of the LAC’s Literacy & Justice Initiative, a project designed to align adult literacy education with broader movements for civil rights, human rights, and racial and economic justice.
Roberta Soolman is Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts (LVM), the state’s leading provider of free, confidential and individualized tutoring to adults in basic literacy and ESOL. She is Board President of the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education, and she has successfully led advocacy efforts to increase state funding for adult basic education which is currently at $59 million. She is also an elected member of the Massachusetts ABE Directors’ Council and has served on numerous policy task forces and committees for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Patrick Brown is the Director of Adult Student Attainment Strategy at the Michigan College Access Network and former Executive Director of the Michigan Adult, Community and Alternative Education Association, an advocacy organization that promotes the importance of adult, alternative, community education and integrated education and training across Michigan. In his role at MACAE he successfully advocated for a statewide initiative that now provides public funding for not-for-profit adult literacy organizations.
Massachusetts Needs an Actionable Strategy to Expand ESOL Services
Presented on October 18, 2024 by Benjamin Forman from MassINC and Dr. Kerry Spitzer from the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The recording, transcript, chat and audio file will be found at:
If needed, the passcode is: 2=ktwfiu
English Plus Integration: Shifting the Instructional Paradigm for Immigrant Adult Learners to Support Integration Success
Presented on October 11 2024 by Jacob Hofstetter, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute. Video and audio recordings, slides, audio transcript and chat record will be found at:
If needed, the Passcode is D%.6?BeF
Digital Equity Act funds available now: What adult educators need to know,
Presented on August 26, 2024 by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Fellow, National Skills Coalition.
Zoom recording of presentation with slides. Slides
Family Literacy for Stronger Urban Communities
Presented on June 17, 2024. by Anna Kaiper-Marquez,Director of Family Literacy at National Center for Families Learning and Melissa Moore, Executive Director at Read Muskegon and Urban Alliance Steering Committee member. Zoom recording of presentation with slides, Audio Transcript, Chat Messages and more. https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/ziBfO9VW4FUIgogwFS8mi170Muma-KtWMuj-jwhbvNnvXy3v9Z6rFyA2PQzjyQ-D.fcTEjRmSnekYBMeS?startTime=1718643690000 Passcode: +8YnZ^*1 Link to the slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18UeD8rB7PEFmPeEP2lAUAYRE-dNNId5O/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106592927434776080960&rtpof=true&sd=true
Community-Oriented Adult Foundational Education in Urban Areas
Presented on May 29, 2024 by Paul Jurmo, consultant in Adult Foundational Education development, Washington, D.C. and Jessica Tomkins, Chief Operating Officer at Literacy New Jersey.. Slides Recording of Presentation with chat (note: the recording requires this password: *UK4@Qk& ), summary, transcripted segments, and next steps (Note: you may want to download and play the recording from your desktop with an mp4 player.)
An Introduction to Urban Adult Foundational Education Coalitions
Presented on April 22, 2024 by Urban Alliance Steering Committee members: David J. Rosen; President, Newsome Associates, Boston, MA; Paul Jurmo, consultant in Adult Foundational Education development, Washington, D.C.; Laureen Atkins-Holliday, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at The Literacy Cooperative, Cleveland Ohio; Melissa Moore, Executive Director at Read Muskegon; and Steve Hannum, Community Outreach Manager at The Literacy Council, Birmingham, AL.. Recording of presentation.
The Houston Texas Adult Literacy Initiative
Presented on April 18, 2023 by Federico Salas-Isnardi, Director of the Mayor's Office for Adult Literacy. Slides Recording of Presentation (Note: You may want to download and play the recording from your desktop with an mp4 player such as the free VLC media player.)
The Digital Equity Act,
Presented on March 21, 2023 by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Fellow at the National Skills Coalition. Slides Recording of presentation (Note: if you cannot play the recording, download and then open it with an mp4 player such as the free VLC media player.)
The GOAL Collective, an AFE collective impact model in Nashville, Tennessee
Presented on February 7, 2023 by its Associate Executive Director, Ameshica Linsey. Slides (Note: Scroll down to see slides; don't open with Google Docs.)
How AFE Can Support Equitable Workforce and Economic Development
Presented January 17, 2023 by Paul Jurmo, Consultant in Adult Foundational Education development, Washington, D.C.. Slides
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