The past months have demanded every ounce of educational leadership that adult educators have to offer. As we pivot from our spring rapid response phase, many program directors have expressed the desire to transition to a more structured, cohesive approach, and we recognize that program teams have worked tirelessly throughout the summer to prepare for their students’ return.

We are in this together! The Program Support Professional Development Center (PSPDC) is committed to continuing to provide a comprehensive series of professional development, resources, and coaching to support you during this transition. This includes sharing group meetings for directors, advisors, and volunteer coordinators (please see the SABES Calendar for dates and times of these sessions throughout the year.)

Adult education programs have always provided more than academic learning. As you transition to full or blended online teaching and learning models, you are also delivering other supports and services remotely. Drop-in advising hours, bulletin boards with job referrals and community resources, hands-on job training, and interview preparation are just a few examples of the services that need to be reconfigured. At the same time, learners are facing increased barriers to persistence, as seen in well-documented challenges of digital literacy and access to devices and reliable Internet. Additionally, the impacts of increased economic instability, racial violence, and the COVID pandemic challenge a learner’s ability to engage and persist. Programs are working hard to learn new skills, rethink approaches, and apply the same culture of persistence and equity to new learning models. 

The PSPDC team is currently developing and offering professional development and resources that contribute to our collective capacity to respond to the challenges of this moment and create equitable access to learning for all. Please reach out to Luanne_teller@worlded.org and Dani_scherer@worlded.org to let us know how we can help.

Please be sure to review this newsletter for more information about upcoming PD resources related to Distance Education, Zoom, Advising and Career Pathways, ADA and Trauma Informed Practices and ABE Licensure. Last but not least, don’t miss our Five Tips You Can Use Immediately to Support Distance and Blended Instruction.