Adult Education is an investment in America's future

Unfortunately, it’s about the money. Budget cuts to adult education over the years have left 88 million workers with low math, literacy or English skills.

The NCSDAE (National Council of State Directors of Adult Education) and COABE (Coalition on Adult Basic Education) have issued the following message:

Each of us as adult educators, students, and friends of adult education have the responsibility to take swift and decisive action to ensure proposed cuts are not enacted. It is even more important that we take action together leading up to Adult Education and Family Literacy Week which takes place September 24-30, 2017.
 
Working together we can ensure that the voices of our students from across the country will be heard throughout the halls of Congress as advocates from around the country join our efforts to connect with legislators in person during COABE's fourth Capitol Hill Day Effort.

We need your voice to ensure full funding is restored to $649 million as overwhelmingly approved with bipartisan support by congress in 2014. When you click the link below your email will automatically go to mayors, governors, legislators, and all elected officials, ensuring they are aware of the importance of Adult Education.  http://cqrcengage.com/coabe/home?3&engagementId=318733&ep=AAAAC2Flc0NpcGhlcjAx6R4W8vWXQXEvJCIr3YnWwasFp4bS37B87K01gzDA-5Qe5JPsiExZX1yQ4CoELNjRd3m4xkTsYY0XuOi1Q7sSvVYrWmP_CLwu2qYpQzvWHhU&lp=0#engagementId318733

Is advocacy a challenge for you? Do you need help?

LNY can and will help providers if they are unsure how to implement an advocacy plan. One helpful tool is the Educate & Elevate campaign: http://educateandelevate.org/  Educate & Elevate is a campaign that provides communication tools to elevate your organization and build relevancy in the mission of adult education. LNY joined the Educate & Elevate movement a few months back and encourages all providers to get involved.

The main purpose of Educate & Elevate is for the system of 55,000+ adult education leaders to stand united in a national campaign to educate policy makers about the importance of investing in adult education and moving opportunities forward for all Americans to achieve economic mobility.

We realize that for many of us, it’s a timing issue. As in--we have no time! Maybe this is an area where your board could pitch in and start an Advocacy Committee? Or maybe you have some young people working in your office (even better—Americorps workers) who want a tackle a project like this? If you are stuck, we encourage you to call us and we can figure it out together…