Virtual Virginia #1: Navigating Genius for Canvas Administrators
2025-01-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Part one of a two-part series to support Canvas administrators to navigate the Genius and Canvas systems to set up courses, enroll learners, and then to add course content for the adult education Virtual Va courses.

CASAS: Digital Essentials for NEDP
2025-01-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
Join this one-hour “how-to” session to explore alternative digital tools to enhance NEDP competencies. We’ll dive into resume templates in Canva, creating charts and graphs in Google Sheets, designing and presenting slideshows in Google Slides, and understanding Google Drive—what it is and how clients might use it.

Register here.

Workforce GPS: Digital Literacy and Resilience: Resources to Support Digital Skill-Building
2025-01-16 13:30 - 15:00 | Virtual
Join this event to hear from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (DOL ETA), U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) about a summary of public feedback from the Digital Literacy and Resilience Request for Information and resources that support digital skill-building throughout the workforce system.

In this webinar, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA); ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE); IMLS’s Office of Library Services; and NTIA will share:

A summary of public comments from ETA’s Digital Literacy and Resilience Request for Information
DOL’s recent update to the Basic Computer Skills Building Blocks Competency Model
Resources from NTIA, including the Digital Equity Capacity Grant program, State Digital Equity Plans, and BroadbandUSA
Resources from IMLS, including InformationLiteracy.gov, digital navigators, and a recent workforce study
Resources from OCTAE, including the Digital Resilience in the American Workfare (DRAW) initiative

This webinar is intended for the workforce system and its partners.
Register Here

Virtual Virginia #2: Canvas Administration
2025-01-22 12:00 - 13:00
The second part of a two-part series to support Canvas administrators to navigate the Genius and Canvas systems to set up courses, enroll learners, and then to add course content for the adult education Virtual Va courses.

NEDP PLC: Outreach
2025-01-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
This session of the Virginia NEDP Professional Learning Community will focus on outreach and marketing. Trainers will introduce the NEDP Marketing Plan template and discuss target audience identification, budget-friendly digital marketing strategies, and free NEDP outreach/marketing resources.
Register here.

How Urban AFE Networks Support Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Updates from Roanoke, Virginia and Grand Rapids, Michigan
2025-01-29 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Representatives of two urban adult foundational education networks or partnerships will describe the immigrant and refugee communities they try to support, how those networks are working with partners to serve them and lessons the partnerships have learned along the way. This follows up on two Urban Alliance immigration-focused Greenhouse Meetings (Webinars) held on October 11 and 18, 2024.
PRESENTERS
Ahoo Salem, Ph.D: Ahoo is the Executive Director of Blue Ridge Literacy (BRL), a non-profit organization based in the Roanoke Main Library that leverages partnerships to provide English literacy services and bridge informational gaps for adults in Southwest Virginia. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Milan University, Italy, specializing in immigrant integration and equitable resource access.
Wendy VerHage Falb, Ph.D: Wendy is the Executive Director of the Literacy Center of West Michigan, the largest CBO for adult literacy in Michigan serving 1300 adults annually. Deeply committed to equitable educational outcomes for all, Wendy served as president of the Grand Rapids Public Board of Education as well as on other civic and community boards. Wendy has a Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University, specializing in poetry and cultural theory.
Register Here

COABE: Virtual Leadership in Action: Students as Leaders Summit 2025
2025-02-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
The Students as Leaders Summit (March 31, 2025) offers adult learners an opportunity to engage in a free hybrid learning experience where they will learn how to foster student leadership in their local programs. Learn how to foster virtual participation for all adult learners in your program to ensure that they do not miss out on this once-a-year opportunity for networking, connection, and learning!
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2025-02-03 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-03-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Teaching intermediate alphabetics (syllables, prefixes, suffixes, root words) is a great way to help students build their decoding and comprehension skills. Come learn a variety of fun and easy-to-use routines and activities for helping intermediate-level readers develop these important tools.
Register Here

Financial Literacy Across the Adult Education Spectrum
2025-02-03 15:00 - 16:30
This session explores the many needs for integrating financial literacy into instruction for all learners.
Our panelists work with learners across the adult education spectrum: pre-literacy English learners, English learners with higher levels of education, and ABE and ASE learners. They discuss takeaways from the Financial Literacy Institute offered through COABE, the various needs for financial literacy within their adult learner populations, and classroom applications and resources to support learners’ financial literacy goals.

Participants will come away from the session with an understanding of essential financial literacy topics and classroom applications.
Participants will engage in discussion about the many reasons that adult learners need financial literacy instruction that is relevant to their education, life, and career goals.
Participants will come away with resources and instructional strategies to integrated financial literacy concepts into their programming and instruction.

VALRC IET/IELCE Webinar, Behavioral Health Interpreter: An IET for Multilingual Adult Learners
2025-02-04 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Learn about the Behavioral Health Interpreter IET, and its relevance for multilingual adult learners looking to leverage their language skills and assets.
Hear from adult education practitioners and their training partners on how to develop a collaborative IET program that leverages the strengths and experience of multilingual learners.
Register Here

Pro-Literacy: Incorporating Vocabulary and Writing into Any Instructional Material
2025-02-05 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Students often need more practice on a specific skill than the worksheets you have on hand. Join us to learn how to make your materials do double duty to practice vocabulary and writing. This session is for those whose students are native English speakers.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Math Content Webinar: Dyscalculia
2025-02-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
Join Literacy Minnesota for a session on dyscalculia; a specific learning disability that makes numerical reasoning and comprehension challenging for our learners. This session will build on previous trainings on dyscalculia, diving into identifying students with math learning needs and working to shift students’ mindset and reduce math anxiety. This session will look at previously discussed number sense routines and work on coaching teachers on how to implement and use these routines in the classroom to build confidence in their math learners, while providing support for atypical learners.
Register Here

COABE: Building and Refining Specialized Services for Internationally Trained Professionals in Region 1
2025-02-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
This interactive discussion will highlight innovative service models for supporting Internationally Trained Professionals (ITPs). We will bring together adult education practitioners from Region 1 and beyond who have built ITP-focused programming across sectors (nursing, engineering) and that leverage different funding models. Whether new to this work or scaling existing programs, participants will learn about useful strategies for expanded impact to support ITPs with entering skills-appropriate employment and training. Please join the breakout conversations and the live Q&A!
Register Here

VALRC: Pre-literacy Activities for Emerging English Language Learners Webinar
2025-02-11 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
Are you an adult ESOL instructor looking to enhance your teaching strategies for adult learners with emerging literacy skills? Join our webinar and discover effective, practical approaches to help your learners succeed in literacy development!
What You’ll Learn:

Defining Literacy: Understand the core components of literacy and its challenges for adult ESOL learners.
Types of Learners: Explore the different literacy levels and how to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Essential Pre-Literacy Skills: Learn how to develop foundational skills like visual perception, discrimination skills, and comfort with writing tools.
Practical Activities: Engage in hands-on activities to build your students’ literacy.
Classroom Strategies: Discover effective strategies for integrating these pre-literacy activities in the classroom to meet learners where they are.

Why Attend?

Gain valuable insights on literacy instruction tailored to adult ESOL learners.
Learn strategies to help students develop critical literacy skills.
Leave with practical activities and tips you can use in your classroom immediately.

Who Should Attend?
ESOL instructors, literacy coaches, and anyone working with adult learners at the beginning literacy stage.
Register Here

Workforce GPS: Partnering with Employers for Inclusive Hiring and Retention
2025-02-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
You’re invited to the Section 188 Webinar Series: Pt. 2 – Partnering with Employers for Inclusive Hiring and Retention. Hosted by WorkforceGPS. The webinar will emphasize the vital role of AJCs and workforce partners in engaging with businesses to incorporate inclusion.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Essential Zoom Skills for Online Instruction
2025-02-12 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Join this hands-on session to learn and practice essential Zoom skills for the virtual classroom that may not be in your repertoire if your experience with the platform is limited to meetings with friends and colleagues at work.
The workshop will cover:

Turning off participants’ cameras and microphones
Re-naming participants
Sharing your screen
Annotating your screen
Setting up and visiting breakout rooms

Register Here

All About Accommodations (for GED® Testing)
2025-02-13 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
This session will be facilitated by Debbie Bergtholdt, Accommodations Manager at Pearson VUE.
There are always updates and improvements to the accommodation request process.  Join us to find out what is new and to discuss accommodations available on the GED® test. Also learn what tools are available to help your students find the documentation they need to support accommodation requests. There will be time for questions and concerns you have related to this topic.
Register here.

EdTech Strategy Sessions — Tools and Strategies for Bringing AI to English Learners
2025-02-14 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
Bringing AI to Adult Literacy
What does it take to bring cutting-edge AI tools into real-world classrooms? This lightning talk dives into findings from a pilot study of the Pace AI platform, designed to support adult English learners. Discover how engaging features like pronunciation feedback boosted confidence and learning. We’ll explore where there’s potential and what’s on the horizon!
Fusing Literacies Through Content, Process, and Product
‘Fusing Literacies’ isn’t just a catchy phrase (or cool band name); it’s a call to action. It’s a call to connect our rich andragogical approaches to adult English language instruction with the play and promise of digital exploration—supporting our multilingual learners as they engage with technology-rich environments. Borrowing from Carol Tomlinson’s differentiation mode, this talk focuses on fusing through content, through process, and through product.
This session is sponsored by Pace AI.
Register Here

VALRC: Advancing Alphabetics: Systematic Phonics Instruction with EBRI Tools and AI Insights
2025-02-18 15:30 - 17:30 | Online
This session explores how systematic phonics instruction supports an effective reading program, using the Evidence-Based Reading Instruction (EBRI) Observation Tool for educator growth. Participants will gain insights into building alphabetics-based instruction and learn how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer truly exciting enhancements to these processes. Practical strategies for improving literacy outcomes and implementing evidence-based reading practices will be shared.
Presenter: Mora da Silva
Register here

Literacy Minnesota: Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2025-02-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Come and review the important role of fluency in reading instruction. We will discuss the three key components of reading fluency and look at a variety of activities tutors and teachers can try. We will talk about the mechanics of doing fluency practice via Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any other remote tutoring tool (including the phone!). Participants will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share resources.
This workshop will be most useful for instructors working with low-intermediate to advanced readers.
Register Here

Pro-Literacy: Professional Written Communication: Strategies for Teaching Workplace Writing
2025-02-19 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
In this webinar, participants will explore effective strategies for teaching workplace writing skills to adult learners. The session will cover the importance of the writing process and how to develop instructional activities that reinforce each step. Attendees will learn how to guide students in understanding and applying appropriate levels of formality in various professional contexts, addressing workplace etiquette and cultural knowledge.
Learn how to teach common formats of workplace communication—e.g., emails, memos, agendas—integrating key aspects of professionalism as well as basic writing skills. Participants will discover ways to integrate digital skills into writing instruction and will be introduced to valuable resources and classroom activities designed to enhance students’ professional writing abilities.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Reading Activities for Beginning Literacy and Beginning English Language Learners
2025-02-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Teaching and tutoring very beginning level ESL readers can be intimidating for volunteers and professional teachers alike. Attend this webinar to get practical activities and ideas for one-on-one, remote and in-person instruction with tech and no-tech options. Leave feeling ready to provide your learners with meaningful and effective reading activities.
Register Here

LINCS Universal Design for Learning TA
2025-02-24 12:30 - 13:30
More to come.

VALRC: Differentiated Science of Reading Instruction for Multilingual Learners
2025-02-25 15:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
Do you want to tackle the challenges of teaching multilevel ESOL classes? Are you looking to address the varied learning needs of individual students within one classroom and become an effective multi-level teacher?
This session will focus on ways to provide differentiated instruction to multilingual learners, with a focus on incorporating alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Participants will engage in hands-on activities from the perspective of a learner. Activities will include examples of and materials for differentiating learning content, process, and product.
This is a repeat session from Fall 2024.
Register Here

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-02-27 14:00 - 15:00
Profiles: This module will examine how stereotyping of persons with disabilities may impact employment decisions.

ProLiteracy: Incorporating Reading Comprehension into Any Instructional Material
2025-03-04 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Students often need more practice on a specific skill than the worksheets you have on hand. Join us to learn how to make your materials do double duty to practice reading comprehension. This session is for those whose students are native English speakers.
Register Here

Structure Your Program So Students & Staff Want to Stay
2025-03-06 12:30 - 14:00 | Virtual
Presented by Joyce Clement Jackson and Melinda Dart of Chesterfield County Public Schools Adult Continuing Education.
This webinar will focus on the tools and strategies necessary to build a program where both staff and students learn and grow together. The three focus areas include building relationships, building learning models, and building partnerships. For each of these areas, we will provide practical ways to make programs meaningful for both staff and students. Learning tools and templates will be provided.
Participants will gain:

practical ways to establish and maintain relationships that result in retention of staff and students,
tools to provide quality instruction through effective learning models, and
ideas to build partnerships that empower students and staff to have a voice in the community.

Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Tips and Strategies for Online Instruction
2025-03-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
During the early days of the pandemic, remote instruction was a necessary evil that many begrudgingly endured. But as the options for in-person instruction opened up, many learners chose to continue to learn in an online environment. Join this session to learn and see modeled tips and strategies for teaching and tutoring online, and determine how to bring them back to your context. This session is appropriate for educators working with both English language learners and adult education students. (Note: This session does not include technical how-to skills for using Zoom or other platforms.)
Register Here

LACES Data Housekeeping and Diagnostics
2025-03-10 13:30 - 15:00
Join us for a webinar on the LACES data system for Virginia adult education programming.
