Join thought leaders from the field at our upcoming webinars.
Webinars are designed and hosted by educators, staff, and researchers in the adult literacy field who bring their expertise and experience to help you advance your work with students. Sign up for one of our upcoming webinars today! Find past webinar recordings on our Courses & Learning page.
Literacy is more than a skill. It is a gateway to opportunity, confidence, and lifelong success. With Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (AEFL Week) coming up September 13–19, there is no better time to celebrate the ways in which literacy improves lives. Join us for a webinar featuring a conversation with an adult learner and the educator who supported her journey. Hear firsthand how literacy education and meaningful educator-learner relationships can foster persistence, confidence, and new opportunities for education, employment, and personal growth. When you attend, you will hear about the impact of literacy beyond the classroom, hear firsthand reflections from an adult learner and educator about the power of literacy and opportunity, gain practical insights to strengthen learner engagement and persistence, and experience the impact literacy has on families, workplaces, and communities. Together, let's recognize the power of literacy, the value of connections, and the opportunities that adult education creates for lifelong growth and success.
Work schedules, childcare, transportation, limited class capacity, and lack of reliable internet access can all keep adult learners from getting the instruction they need. Join us for this 30-minute Lunch & Learn as we explore ways programs can reduce these barriers and extend learning opportunities to adults who may be difficult to reach or retain. We’ll introduce Cell-Ed, a new learning solution available through New Readers Press that delivers short, accessible lessons in literacy, numeracy, English language learning, digital skills, workforce readiness, and more, even without a smartphone, app, or Wi-Fi. See how Cell-Ed can support learners beginning at the foundational level and work alongside EnGen to create a pathway toward stronger English skills, career-focused learning, and credential preparation. Whether you're exploring new learning solutions or simply looking for ideas to better reach learners facing barriers to participation, we invite you to join us!
Join us to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of language instruction: pragmatics. While grammar and vocabulary help students form correct sentences, pragmatic competence helps them communicate effectively in real-world situations. This session will examine the unwritten rules of communication that many native English speakers take for granted, including making polite requests, engaging in small talk, interrupting appropriately, expressing disagreement respectfully, understanding formal and informal register, and navigating workplace interactions. Participants will also explore how cultural expectations shape communication and why misunderstandings often occur even when students use grammatically correct English. Designed for educators working with adult English language learners at all proficiency levels, this practical webinar will provide classroom strategies and activities that help learners develop the confidence and cultural awareness needed to communicate naturally and successfully beyond the textbook.
Many adult learners approach writing with hesitation, limited confidence, or negative experiences from school. This webinar explores practical strategies for reducing writing anxiety, encouraging creativity, and helping learners generate and develop ideas before they begin writing. Participants will learn instructional routines that build confidence, strengthen the foundational skills that support effective writing, and can be adapted for ABE, HSE, English language, and multilevel classrooms as well as one-on-one tutoring. Throughout the session, we will also highlight ways to adapt these strategies for online instruction.
Adult learners often face challenges both inside and outside the classroom that can impact their confidence and persistence. The conversations adult educators have with students during these moments can help build trust, encourage growth, and support continued progress toward their goals. This session explores how intentional communication can strengthen relationships and help students navigate challenges with greater confidence and resilience. Participants will learn practical strategies for providing feedback, navigating difficult conversations, and supporting students’ growth, independence, and continued success.
Over the past ten years, municipal funding for community-based adult literacy education in New York City has increased from $5.5 million to $26.5 million. The Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) has played a central role in the advocacy campaigns that have led to these increases, and the LAC’s Investing in Quality report and Literacy & Justice Initiative have provided the vision for the advocacy and funding. What has made these advocacy campaigns particularly noteworthy is that they have focused less on the role of adult literacy education in workforce development and more on adult literacy as an issue of human rights, civil rights, and social justice. In this session, you’ll learn about these efforts and discuss their applicability to your own contexts and circumstances.
Our professional development resources help program managers, instructors, trainers, and others build the capacity and quality of adult education programs. Our tools can help your adult literacy programs strengthen skills and learn new strategies to improve student outcomes in reading, writing, and financial literacy.
Todd Evans, Senior Director of Programs