Strengths-Based Adult Education Cohort
Looking to take your adult education skills to the next level while earning valuable professional development hours? We would like to invite you to join the LAC’s Strengths-Based Adult Education Cohort – a dynamic 5-session certificate program designed specifically for ESOL, ABE, and HSE instructors, staff,  and volunteers like you! This is the perfect opportunity to grow professionally while making a meaningful impact in your community.
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No cost. Virtual and in-person sessions.

Applications due: February 7, 2025
In-person dates: Fridays March 7 and 14, April 4, 11, and 25

What you can expect from the cohort:
  • Hands-on sessions
  • Personalized coaching opportunities
  • Practical strategies for real-world teaching challenges
  • Peer learning and collaboration

Program Description
This cohort is ideal for ESOL, ABE, and HSE instructors, staff, and volunteers looking to enhance their knowledge and skills as adult education practitioners. Participants will engage in 5 in-person classes, along with three optional one-hour enrichment sessions conducted remotely. Personalized coaching hours with instructors are also guaranteed to support your individual development.

The course will also cover topics such as: 
  • Time-saving tips for efficient and impactful lesson planning​
  • How to scaffold a lesson to support diverse learners
  • Key principles of adult literacy and learning theories
  • Effective multilevel teaching strategies
  • Innovative AI and tech integration in the classroom
  • Tools for understanding adult learning processes
  • Mastering vocabulary instruction: what, how, and when to teach it
  • Brain research to inform instruction
  • Culturally responsive approaches to adult education

Admission requirements

  • Admission to this program is by application and It is open only to individuals who are currently working or volunteering in DYCD-funded programs.
 
Class Dates
Friday, March 7 and 14 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Friday, April 4, 11, and 25 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Participants Expectations

  • Accepted participants are expected to attend all sessions and to join one of the facilitators for a coaching session.
  • Participants will be expected to have no more than one absence while in the program and will be expected to:
    • Submit an annotated lesson plan
    • Complete an online pre and post assessment survey​


Instructor Bios
Lizelena Iglesias is the Director of Adult Literacy Professional Development Services at the Literacy Assistance Center. Currently, she provides training and coaching for adult and youth educators on best practices in adult basic education and high school equivalency instruction. Lizelena has developed curricula for various national and local projects and co-facilitates the Foundations of Adult Education certificate course, as well as the Culturally Responsive Adult Education Institute at the Literacy Assistance Center.

Her training portfolio includes topics such as brain-based learning, literacy, disciplinary literacy, integrating technology and AI in the adult education classroom, culturally responsive adult education, STEM/STEAM, project and problem based learning among others. 
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Recently, she has collaborated with the Brooklyn Museum of Art Education Department to create opportunities for art integration, emphasizing the importance of making museum resources accessible to all. She has presented at national, state, and regional conferences and has been invited to serve as a keynote speaker at different events.  Lizelena is also an active member of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the International Literacy Association (ILA). Additionally, she serves as a national trainer and the science community moderator for the national LINCS project. This year, she proudly celebrates 25 years of teaching. She earned her M.ED. from Framingham State University and holds a certificate in Higher Education from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University . 
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William Linn is the ESOL Specialist & Coordinator of ESOL Certificate Programs at the Literacy Assistance Center. In courses, workshops, and one-on-one coaching, Will’s focus is on practical and theoretical insights that can make ESOL teaching and learning easier. In keeping with this goal, Will has brought an experiential approach to several of the LAC’s courses as a course-designer and facilitator of Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA), Teaching English to Adults with Limited Literacy (TEALL), and Foundations of Adult Education (FAE). He has also taught Applied Linguistics in the MATESOL program at the SIT Graduate Institute and he has presented at local, state and national conferences. 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.

Apply Now

Click below to apply for this year's Strengths-Based Adult Education cohort.