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PAACE, or Pennsylvania Association of Adult Continuing Education, is the state’s organization for advocacy of adult and continuing education. Each year PAACE holds a conference where adult educators, administrators, staff, and tutors from across the state of Pennsylvania convene to learn and network together. This year's PAACE conference will be held on April 26th, 27th, and May 1st.
Eleven Literacy Pittsburgh staff members from across the agency will be presenting at PAACE this year on a variety of topics. Carey Harris, Terra Teets, and Miranda Pino represent a cross-team collaboration, and they will share recent successes that Literacy Pittsburgh has had in Adult Education advocacy in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. From the teaching team, Mia Naccarato, Luke Fredland, and Emily Harrer will be sharing their knowledge and expertise in teaching strategies. They will present on addressing and reducing testing anxiety, incorporating writing into daily instruction, and trauma informed practices for an ESL classroom. The Volunteer and Community Partnerships team will be represented by Lisa Morse, Hannah Gerbeschacht, and Lindsey Crumley.
They will be sharing information on how to motivate adult learners to persist and best practices for recruiting, screening, and supporting volunteer tutors. Finally, Anne Carney and Sara Roberts from our Digital Skills team, will be presenting on strategies for implementing digital skills into adult education classrooms. They will specifically highlight what this may look like in beginner-level ESL classrooms and ABE classrooms. As leaders in adult education across the state, Literacy Pittsburgh staff bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to this conference. Each of the above presentations will benefit not only members of our staff in attendance, but also other adult educators, administrators, staff, and tutors from across the state as well. We are happy to share our expertise and knowledge in the field and are looking forward to learning from and networking with others in our field in a few weeks.
Along with Literacy Pittsburgh staff, the conference will consist of other presentations given by adult education professionals, sales representatives for adult education print and technical materials, and testing services representatives. There will also be awards given to outstanding practitioners, leaders, tutors, and partners of Adult Education. Literacy Pittsburgh’s own Alex Dow will be accepting this year's award for Outstanding Practitioner. This is a great opportunity for Literacy Pittsburgh’s staff and tutors to learn about current best practices for teaching, advocacy, and materials in the field of adult education. To learn more about PAACE in general, or the PAACE conference specifically, please visit their website here.
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
