We’re leaving for Dallas, Texas, this weekend to join the 2,000+ adult education professionals attending the Commission on Adult Basic Education’s national conference. After NCFL President and Founder Sharon Darling helps kick-off #COABE16 with Neil Bush at the opening general session, we’ll be hosting five professional development sessions and panels on a few of the many ways two-generation practices can be implemented in adult education. Check out those opportunities below.

Also, for those of you COABE members in Region Two, NCFL’s Associate Director Tracy Noles has received the nomination to advocate for your region’s best interests. Here’s why we would vote for Noles: Noles Knows! what adult education professionals need. From tutoring to teaching in public schools and training future adult education professionals, Noles Knows! how to connect adult learning theory with practice. Ten years in Kentucky’s largest school district and her current work at NCFL has afforded the experiences and know-how to develop staff and programs, strategically collaborate with partners to address issues, and monitor opportunities for continuous program improvement. Cast your vote now!

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NCFL Sessions

Monday 10:45 a.m. | Connect, Communicate, Collaborate! A Discussion of Big Ideas in Family Literacy
Calling all Family Literacy practitioners! Please join us for a roundtable discussion of big ideas in the field of family literacy including innovative ways to engage families in the community, workforce readiness opportunities within the family literacy context, component integration, family mentoring, and high-quality, research-based resources you can use with parents and children to enhance programming. This session will provide participants with an open forum to connect and learn from one another. Come prepared to meet new people, network with colleagues, learn from one another, and leave with fresh ideas, resources, and content material to develop your current family literacy programming into the Biggest and Best it can be!

Presented by: Tracy Noles, Patricia Lovett, Donna Elder, and Josh Cramer [Remington Room, Level 4]

Monday 2 p.m. | Bigger Vocabulary, Better Readers: Family Literacy Programs Can Help 
Family literacy programs with Parent Time and Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time components provide parents the opportunity to learn and practice strategies that will lead to improved literacy and language outcomes for their children. Family literacy programs are a natural way to engage parents, help them learn new skills for interacting with their children, and see the vital role that they play in their children’s lives. Come and explore ideas, tools, and strategies that will help develop better readers.

Presented by: Donna Elder [State Room 3, Level 3]

Tuesday 8 a.m. | Building Employability Skills with Project Based Service-Learning Activities
This presentation focuses on the adult outcomes of the Toyota Family Learning program. We will overview an innovative family learning program that melds adult education and service learning in order to engage adult learners in acquiring and using language, literacy, and employability skills via student-driven authentic activities and contexts. Using the results from an independent evaluation, presenters will address the outcomes and the activities that promote educational and civic engagement.

Presented by: Blaire Willson Toso, Carol Clymer, and Joshua Cramer [Cityview 7, Level 4]

Tuesday 9:30 a.m. | Talking About Wordless Picture Books: A Tutor Strategy Supporting ELLs
A challenging economy, increasing populations with English as a second language, and a growing awareness of the nation’s literacy crisis have prompted a surge of interest in literacy-related volunteerism. Wordless picture books provide an accessible avenue for teachers, tutors, and volunteers to engage students in literacy development with just a little training and a lot of conversation. Participants will explore an innovative toolkit designed to provide family literacy programs with tools, strategies, and resources needed to effectively integrate volunteers into their program services.

Presented by: Patricia Lovett [Remington Room, Level 4]

Tuesday 2 p.m. | Increasing Persistence for Bigger and Better Outcomes 
Does your program struggle with recruiting families? Or is keeping them more of a challenge? This interactive session will include a review of current research in student persistence, types of persistence barriers, and practical ideas for program development that address barriers to ensure families have every opportunity to successfully complete goals. Included in this discussion will be implications of persistence on college and career readiness, the importance of providing contextualized activities to increase persistence, and free resources designed to spark family curiosity leading to higher levels of engagement.

Presented by: Tracy Noles [State Room 3, Level 3]

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Reach out to @NCFL on Twitter or stop by the National Literacy Directory booth in the exhibit hall to register your learning and literacy program to connect with more potential students, volunteers, and advocates.