Spring 2022 Newsletter

Spring 2022 Newsletter

 

    QUARTERLY UPDATES SPRING & SUMMER 2022

     

    COMMITTEE, ISSUES GROUP, AND TASK FORCE REPORTS

    STEERING COMMITTEE

    The Steering Committee met monthly during the past quarter. The meetings focused on continuing the strategic planning process for ODC, expected to be completed in the current quarter. The Steering Committee also reviewed activities of several ODC committees and task forces and planned an in-person get together at the ProLiteracy Conference in October. 

    LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVEL ISSUES GROUP 

    Members of the Labor and Workforce Development Issues Group (LWDIG) have been busy with their responsibilities for national and local organizations. A few have also been participating in other ODC-related activities (e.g., the E-BAES Task Force and ODC Steering Committee), as presenters in the April 2022 COABE conference, and in informal teams exploring how to better define the U.S. “adult literacy problem” and how federal policymakers and national organizations can support an improved system of adult learning opportunities in the U.S.
     
    The downside of this reality is that most LWDIG members have not been available to participate in LWDIG-specific activities we identified through a planning process last year. Thus, at this writing, LWDIG is on hold until our group – with the help of the ODC Steering Committee – figures out how LWDIG (and probably other ODC groups) can move forward in 2022. Several members did contribute to the summary of key issues which LWDIG is presenting in ODC’s May membership meeting.
     
    Since 2018, LWDIG has tried to fill gaps in the thinking and leadership within the adult education field around how adult basic skills can respond to the work-related realities of adult learners. While we hope to continue building on the considerable work we’ve done so far, we need to re-think how to operate with no paid staff and with volunteer members who have other professional and personal responsibilities.
     

    EVIDENCE-BASED ADULT EDUCATION SYSTEM TASK FORCE (E-BAES)

    This quarter E-BAES Task Force members have been hard at work on the research agenda’s three tasks making the case for the value of adult education.
     
    Task 1 group, focused on gathering adult education stakeholders, is dividing into smaller groups to consider ways to convene around multiple partnership topics. If you are interested in joining the Task 1 group please contact Steve Reder, stevereder@gmail.com
     
    After finishing coding, the Task 2 group is completing its analyses of partnership literature to increase awareness of adult foundational education’s value. A new Task 3 group has formed and  began its work in the spring. Task 3 will focus on a return-on-investment and cost-benefit analysis for adult foundational education programming.  To join the Task 3 group, please contact Margaret Becker Patterson, margaret@researchallies.org

     

    COMMUNICATION & MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

    The committee’s founding member and, until June 6th its chair, David J. Rosen, has stepped aside to devote time to other ODC efforts that focus on Health, digital navigation services including digital literacy, and health partnerships with adult foundational education (AFE) programs. The new chair of the C & M Committee is ODC Steering Committee member Holly McCoy. We welcome Holly in her additional role at the ODC.
     
    The Committee has been engaged in many activities the past several months that are listed below; however, we urgently need additional members. Committee members are especially in demand who have social media skills, website skills, organizational membership recruitment experience or who can help with this newsletter. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Holly McCoy at holly@literacyservices.org
     
    Recent Communication and Membership Committee activities include:

    • Organizing and implementing a process of recruiting interviewers, interviewing ODC members about their ODC experiences and summarizing these findings for the ODC Steering Committee
    • Preparing for the migration of the current ODC website to the Literacy Minnesota website with a new website design
    • Supporting the ODC Steering Committee in its efforts to promote a new name for our field, Adult Foundational Education, and in helping to develop and refine the definition for this new name
    • Publicizing ODC member presentations at the 2022 COABE Conference
    • Publicizing an Adult Immigrant Integration; Education and Citizenship: Law and Context, an ODC Immigrant and Refugee Education and Integration Issues Group Webinar, and
    • This newsletter.