[NLA] Celebrating 35 Years of the AELS

[Debbie Yoho]

>From Tom Stitcht:  

"...Most of the
ones (volunteers) I have spoken with have very little, if any,
understanding of the
Adult Education System of the United States. My guess is that they are not
unlike millions of other adults in our nation. Clearly there is a need for
a massive effort to educate both adult educators and the public in general
about the AELS, what it does, who it serves, how to access it, and why
additional support is needed."

I'd like to add that many in the AELS, including some on this list (as
evidenced by some recent questions about the LVA/LLA merger) know very
little about volunteer literacy.  Thank you, Tom, for once again surfacing
the need for deeper collaboration inside the literacy house.  




> [Original Message]
> From: Thomas Sticht <tsticht at znet.com>
> To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
> Cc: <tsticht at aznet.net>
 > Date: 7/14/2002 7:04:29 PM
> Subject: [NLA] Celebrating 35 Years of the AELS
>
> Celebrating 35 Years of the Adult Education & Literacy System (AELS)
> of the United States of America
> Tom Sticht
> 
> In February I announced a speaking tour of six cities in the U. S.
> celebrating the 35 years of the growth of the AELS from the passaging of
> the Adult Education Act of FY 1967 to FY 2002. I am now one half of the
> way through the tour with talks in New York (April 12), San Francisco
> (April 30, May 1), and Las Cruces, New Mexico (June 22).  Altogether, over
> 450 hundred adults have heard about the AELS as I’ve made the case for
> considering it the third branch of public education in the U.S.
> 
> Following my talk at the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy, David Godsted,
> Executive Director of the NMCL told me that he had heard many good
> comments about the talk. It is gratifying to meet colleagues who are
> members of the NLA list in person to say hello and exchange ideas. It is
> also heartening to learn that so many people are anxious to learn more
> about the AELS and the results of research that has provided important
> lessons for adult literacy education practice and advocacy.  Now its on to
> three more cities by the end of October. Following is a list of dates,
> places and contacts for those interested in attending any of the remaining
> three presentations.
> 
> August 13, Breezy Point, Minnesota
> Deborah Simmons,  St. Thomas University
> dasimmons at stthomas.edu
> 
> October 18, Seattle, Washington
> Delight Willing,  Seattle University
> dwilling at seattleu.edu
> 
> October 23, Marlborough, Massachusetts
> Charlie Houghton,  Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education
> charlie at mcae.net
> 
> PS: I have been constantly reminded as I have visited with adult educators
> in these different cities of just how little is known about the AELS as an
> adult education system, especially by hundreds of volunteer tutors who are
> good citizens engaged in benevolent educational activities. Most of the
> ones I have spoken with have very little, if any, understanding of the
> Adult Education System of the United States. My guess is that they are not
> unlike millions of other adults in our nation. Clearly there is a need for
> a massive effort to educate both adult educators and the public in general
> about the AELS, what it does, who it serves, how to access it, and why
> additional support is needed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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Deborah W. Yoho
Co-moderator, NIFL-Health  and
Executive Director
Greater Columbia Literacy C


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