Past Recorded Greenhouse Meetings (webinars)

The Urban Alliance for Adult Literacy (formerly Urban CAFÉ) has hosted the following Greenhouse Meetings (webinars) that have been recorded and/or for which there are links to slides. Each Greenhouse Meeting has included 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:

• 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 1:00 - 2:30 Eastern time 

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 is 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 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: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/zguW_bgr378JUfpqh4DZtQ_nPeT9wcnelcIHgGwwWy4R_Io23a3aGIRshXnqf7FM.-zuLaP0FISqTES5E

If needed, the passcode is: 2=ktwfiu

• English Plus Integration: Shifting the Instructional Paradigm for Immigrant Adult Learners to Support Integration Success, presented by Jacob Hofstetter, Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute, on October 11 2024. Video and audio recordings, slides, audio transcript and chat record will be found at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/vSq4WIt0N3T0sbdjbqZNQZhvzKsTDhLqV0cdrRCKR0u2IjfPrnYoigxFkUwSRHCF.4yIJcPuY6xN0bsX0?startTime=1728666062000

If needed, the Passcode is D%.6?BeF  

• Digital Equity Act funds available now: What adult educators need to know, presented by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Fellow, National Skills Coalition. August 26, 2024. Zoom recording of presentation with slides. Slides

• Family Literacy for Stronger Urban Communities presented 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. June 17, 2024.  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 by Paul Jurmo, consultant in Adult Foundational Education development, Washington, D.C. and Jessica Tomkins, Chief Operating Officer at Literacy New Jersey. May 29, 2024. 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 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. April 22, 2024. Recording of presentation. 

• The Houston Texas Adult Literacy Initiative, presented by Federico Salas-Isnardi, Director of the Mayor's Office for Adult Literacy.  April 18, 2023. 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 by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Fellow at the National Skills Coalition. March 21, 2023. 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 by its Associate Executive Director, Ameshica Linsey. February 7, 2023.  Slides (Note: Scroll down to see slides; don't open with Google Docs.)

• How AFE Can Support Equitable Workforce and Economic Development, presented by Paul Jurmo, Consultant in Adult Foundational Education development, Washington, D.C. January 17, 2023. Slides