Foundations of Adult Education
With the support of the Office of the Mayor, the New York City Council, and the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Literacy Assistance Center plans to offer the Foundations of Adult Education Certificate Program at no cost to all participants who are selected for 2021.

Please note that the Foundations of Adult Education course is now filled. The information below is for your reference.  Click here to be informed about future Foundations of Adult Education courses.

Program Description 
This multi-session certificate course is appropriate for all ESOL, ABE, and HSE instructors who are interested in developing their knowledge and skills as adult education practitioners. Participants will attend 30 hours of online synchronous classes in addition to 80 hours of study and reflection online as part of a professional community of practice. 

The course will provide participants with the core knowledge necessary to be an effective adult educator in the virtual and physical classroom; opportunities to share ideas and experiences, network with peers, and try out new strategies and methods with immediate feedback; and a space to reflect on and examine their own teaching practices. 

In addition to giving participants an introduction to principles of adult literacy and theories of learning, the Foundations of Adult Education course (F.A.E.) will cover topics such as:
  • Lesson planning and assessments
  • Creating an inclusive learning environment
  • Strategies for giving students feedback
  • Course design and classroom management tips
  • Compassionate communication for educators
  • Translanguaging for multilingual learners
  • Differentiated and multi-level instruction
  • Best practices for improving remote teaching

As part of their coursework, all participants will present an annotated lesson plan in class on a date assigned, submit a project describing their teaching philosophy, complete two class observations, and have an observation and coaching session with one of the course facilitators. Consistent and timely participation in the course’s online forum (Google Classroom) is also required. In addition, readings and other tasks will be assigned throughout the course. Further details about these tasks will be provided as the course commences.

Admission requirements
Admission to this program is by application. It is open only to individuals who
  • are currently teaching adult learners in NYC
  • have an Associate’s degree or higher
Priority will be given to participants without TESOL/ABE-HSE teaching certificates.


Session Dates
Classes will meet on Fridays from 10 am to 1 pm on the following dates:

February  19, 26
March 12, 26
April 9, 23
May 7, 21
June 4, 18

Participants must attend all sessions.



Instructor Bios

Lizelena Iglesias is the Director of Adult Literacy Professional Development Services at the Literacy Assistance Center. She joined the LAC in 2015 with over eight years of experience designing and teaching HSE courses and leading professional development for HSE teachers in a community-based organization. Currently, Lizelena provides training and sustained coaching for adult and youth educators in best practices in literacy and science instruction, and in the integration of science, social studies and literacy instruction with occupational content and skills. Additionally, Lizelena developed the science module of the LAC Academy High School Equivalency course; has developed science curricula for the Queens Public Library TASC Transition Curriculum project; and has conducted numerous trainings on the Spanish HSE and the Spanish TABE tests. Lizelena is a member of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the International Literacy Association. 
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William Linn is the ESOL Professional Development Associate at the Literacy Assistance Center. In addition to leading ESOL workshops and curriculum design projects, he is one of the two facilitators of the LAC’s Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA)  course. Will has also facilitated the LAC’s Teaching English to Adults with Limited Literacy (TEALL) course and taught Applied Linguistics in the MATESOL program at the SIT Graduate Institute. Will received his MA in TESOL from the SIT Graduate Institute in 2011, and has been a licensed SIT Teacher Trainer since 2015. Will also holds a certificate in Compassionate Communication for Language Teachers from the Institute for Collaborative Learning in Costa Rica. He started teaching ESOL at community organizations in 2008.

Info about FAE

Please click the button below to be informed about future offerings of the Foundations of Adult Education Course.

Digital Literacy

The LAC Academy's online learning platform, Moodle, offers participants the opportunity to build on their digital literacy skills. Skills covered in Modules 1, 2, and 4 of this assessment are particularly important in an online learning environment. Each module begins with very basic tasks, but stick with it, they get more challenging! Assess your Digital Literacy skills here