[NLA] CAAL LAUNCHES COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROJECT

[Bess Heitner]

NEWS  RELEASE  --  January 6, 2003 -- The Council for Advancement of
Adult Literacy (CAAL) today announced a project to help strengthen the
role of community colleges in adult education and literacy.

“CAAL has a primary commitment to developing the state role in adult
education and literacy,” said president Gail Spangenberg. “To this end,
the potential of community colleges is of paramount importance.  They
already provide adult education and literacy services for millions of
adults, but the links between their services, other aspects of the
colleges’ operations, and the adult education and literacy community are
usually weak.”  She emphasized that “these institutions and the adult
education and literacy system will benefit greatly from strengthening
the managerial, programmatic, and curricular links between them.  That
is the basic goal of our new project.”

Over the next month, CAAL will form a blue-ribbon Task Force of leaders
and experts from community colleges, adult literacy, and government.  An
outstanding individual dedicated to innovation in the community college
sector and improved adult literacy service will be named to chair the
Task Force.  Members will be announced by February.  Forrest Chisman,
CAAL’s Vice President for Special Projects, will be Study Director.  Dr.
Chisman has extensive credentials in the areas of community college
innovation and collaboration, national and state policy analysis, and
human resource development.

During an 18-month period, the Task Force will develop a work plan,
specify project outcomes, identify topics for several commissioned
papers, and assess the findings.  Meetings will be held at CAAL’s
offices in New York City and, in Washington, D.C., at the Center for the
Book in the Library of Congress.

CAAL will publish and disseminate nationally its commissioned papers on
various aspects of the community college role.  The papers will be
released one-by-one as the project unfolds.  At the end of the project,
the Task Force will issue a final report to sumarize its findings and
make action recommendations for community colleges, adult education and
literacy groups, government, and other organizations.  CAAL expects to
play an active role in implementing the recommendations.

The Nellie Mae Foundation, Verizon, Inc., and McGraw-Hill, Inc. have
each provided start-up funding for the project.  Additional funds are
being sought from other sources. The current donors all have an ongoing
commitment to advancing adult literacy in America and a special interest
in community colleges.



Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
1221 Avenue of the Americas – 50th Floor
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-512-2363
Fax: 212-512-2610
e-mail: bheitner at caalusa.org
http://www.caalusa.org

Washington-area Satellite Office
(Forrest Chisman)
Phone: 410-643-0135
Fax: 410-643-0137
e-mail: forrest at crosslink.net


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