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Far West Literacy Symposium

Funded by the Professional Development Support for Nonprofit Adult Literacy Organizations grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, regional symposia provide free professional development for volunteers and staff of nonprofit, community-based organizations.

Your local symposium is an excellent place to learn and network with other literacy providers in your region, and a great source of professional development for volunteer instructors.

Thank you so much for your interest!

This event is now over.

QUICK LINKS FOR THE FAR WEST SYMPOSIUM:

Click on any of the links below to go straight to that section, or simply scroll down the page.

BASIC DETAILS

The 2025 Far West Literacy Symposium is co-presented by  the Ysleta Community Learning Center and El Paso Public Libraries in partnership with Literacy Texas

The symposium has the theme “Transforming lives through literacy” and will be held on:

Thursday, January 23 & Friday, January 24, 2025

Check-in for registered participants will open at 7:30 AM (MT) on both days. 

This symposium is offered free of charge to Texas nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy. See Symposium FAQs for more information.

The symposium provides up to 11.75 hours of professional development.

LOCATION

This symposium will be held at Ysleta Community Learning Center, 121 Padres Dr, El Paso, TX, 79907.

REGISTRATION

This session has reached capacity and is no longer accepting new registrations

Online registration has now closed – but we may have a few spots available for last-minute registrants! Call us on 972-926-3155 for more info.

REMINDER: CHECK YOUR SPAM

Every online registration will generate an automated email response with further information. If you don’t see it arrive, please check your junk mail – and make sure you had no typos in your email address when registering.

PD CERTIFICATES

Someone who completes the a session in each timeslot over both days of the symposium will receive 11.75 hours of PD credit.

Certificates of completion will be awarded after the event. Complete the survey after the training is finished to give your details and get your certificate. Surveys will be sent via email in the days following the training.

SYMPOSIUM FAQs

Click on a question to see the answer.

A: Anyone interested in adult and family literacy in Texas is welcome at the symposium. We believe that the people who will gain the most are instructors – very much including volunteer tutors and teachers – at community-based adult and family literacy organizations and nonprofits.

Our regional symposia are designed to reflect the local needs of each region, and to represent a low-to-no cost opportunity to gain quality professional development without needing a large budget for travel or an overnight stay, in the vast majority of cases. We hope that multiple folks from the same organization will be able to come to the symposium – there’s no limit on how many people can attend from one place – something that’s harder to achieve at conferences.

We use the broadest definition of “literacy”, to include all of Adult Foundational Education: adult basic education, English as an additional language, high school equivalency, digital literacy, and workforce readiness, along with other kinds of teaching and learning.

A: Yes! Literacy Texas offers PD credit in conjunction with TCALL.

Certificates of completion will be awarded after the event. Complete the survey after the training is finished to give your details and get your certificate. Surveys will be sent via email in the days following the training.

A: The symposium is free to attend. Literacy Texas will cover the costs of your tuition, any meals and snacks offered, materials, and other resources. 

Please be aware that in recent years, between 25% and 40% of registrants are no-shows at our training events. Every one of these costs us money. If you’ve registered for a Literacy Texas event but then find you can no longer attend, PLEASE get in touch to cancel your registration.

PROGRAM, SESSIONS & SPEAKERS

See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops will be linked here when confirmed.

Schedule Day 1: Thursday, January 23, 2025

Schedule will be kept as current as possible but is subject to change; check back here for updates

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM: CHECK-IN, BREAKFAST

8:00 AM – 8:50 AM: WELCOME DAY 1 + OPENING KEYNOTE

Adult Education: The New Frontier
Mahalia Baldini, Texas Workforce Commission

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Session 1 (75 min)

Corrections/Re-Entry and El Paso Promise
Ambar Martinez, El Paso County Jail Annex
Dominique Olivares, El Paso County Jail Annex

Using GED-Ready Data to Inform Instruction
Jonna McDonough Forsyth, GED Testing Service

UpWardly Global
Joanne Michaud, UpWardly Global
Augustine Eagan, UpWardly Global

Junior Achievement of El Paso
Lupe Mares, Junior Achievement of El Paso

10:25 AM – 11:40 AM

Session 2 (75 min)

Allied Health Action Plan: Your Roadmap to Ellii’s Career Pathway Content for ELLs
Laura Jacob, Ellii

Real-World Ready: Integrating Workplace Skills into Adult Learning
Irene Ramos, Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

Adult Education: A Decade of Growth and Future Forecast
Mahalia Baldini, Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Content, Language, and Literacy*
Mike Saenz, ESC19
*Repeated in session 3

Harnessing the Power of AI: Foundations and Practical Applications
Veronica Alvidrez Alvarez, Ysleta Independent School District (YISD)

11:45 AM – 1:05 PM: WORKING LUNCH + KEYNOTE

Digital + Health + Literacy: A Prescription for Adult Ed and Career Pathways
Jacqueline Aguilera, Mayor’s Office of Adult Literacy, Houston

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Session 3 (75 min)

Incorporating Soft Skills into the AEL Classroom
Ruth Villa, Workforce Solutions Borderplex

Understanding and Supporting Students: Recognizing Depression and Anxiety in the Classroom
Rocio M. Bickei, Emergence Health

What is Health Literacy and Why Does it Matter?
Dr. Heather McKnight, College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services at Texas A&M University-Texarkana

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Content, Language, and Literacy*
Mike Saenz, ESC19
*Repeated from session 2

Hallelujah! Hear My Story. Taste My Success.
Hallelujah! BBQ

2:40 PM – 3:55 PM

Session 4 (75 min)

From Resume Writing to Customized Mock Interviews
Jacqueline Armijo, El Paso Public Library
Sophia Apodaca, El Paso Public Library

GED to College: TSIA2
Rose Galindo, El Paso Community College
Antonia Granillo, El Paso Community College

Utilizing Authentic Resources with English Learners
Claudia Jimenez, Office of New Americans
Lorey Gonzalez Flores, Office of New Americans

Project Vida: Economic Development Community
Paloma Medina, Project Vida

Students as Authors and Agents of Change
Ysleta Community Learning Center Student Authors

4:00 PM: FAREWELL DAY 1

Someone who attends all sessions on Day 1 will qualify for 6.5 hours of PD credit.

[Title of session] – ([room or other location])
[Name of presenter], [organization]

Schedule Day 2: Friday, January 24, 2025

Schedule will be kept as current as possible but is subject to change; check back here for updates

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM: CHECK-IN, BREAKFAST

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM: WELCOME DAY 2

8:25 AM – 9:40 AM

Session 5 (75 min)

Promoting Nurturing Languages in the Classroom
Kayla Orona, Methodist Children’s Home

Center Future: Freedom Dreaming for Our Lives
Kalina Gallardo, El Paso Public Library

Developing Collaborative and Scaffolded Pathways in Healthcare to Support ELs and Help Struggling Readers Succeed
Heidi Nava, Ysleta Community Learning Center
Emma Rivero, Ysleta Community Learning Center
Elva Villalobos, Ysleta Community Learning Center
MaryLou Boisselier, Ysleta Community Learning Center

Preparing AEL Students for the Citizenship Interview in an EL Class
Jezebel Mathie, USCIS
Rosario Rodriguez, USCIS

Empowering Literacy Programs With AI
Irene Ramos, Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL)

9:50 AM – 10:40 AM

SPECIAL SESSION (50 min)

Networking and community collaboration; details pending.

10:50 AM – 12:05 PM

Session 6 (75 min)

El Paso Public Library Presents: Center Future Opportunity Youth
Center Future Youth Fellow Team:
Alexa Harrison
Daniel Inostroza
Kalina Gallardo
Indy Gonzalez

Building a Culture of Shared Power
Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas

Literacy and Career Pathways: Bridging Relevance in a 75-Minute Workshop
Irene Ramos, Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL)

A Teacher’s Dozen: Activities to Engage Your Learners
Martin Loa, Burlington English

Exploring Pathways into the Aerospace Industry
Racheal Haggerty, UTEP Aerospace

12:15 PM – 1:40 PM: WORKING LUNCH + KEYNOTE

Functional Literacy and Houston’s Adult Literacy Blueprint
Jacqueline Aguilera, Mayor’s Office of Adult Literacy, Houston

1:50 PM – 3:05 PM

Session 7 (75 min)

Roundtable Discussion – by Invitation
Jacqueline Aguilera, Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy, Houston

Career Online High School
Jacqueline Armijo, El Paso Public Library
Sophia Apodaca, El Paso Public Library

Empowering Communities: Strategies for Engaging Instructors and Volunteers in Adult English Learner Programs
Christine Wells, Engen – New Readers Press

How to Communicate Effectively With Your Healthcare Provider
Dr. Heather McKnight, College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services at Texas A&M University-Texarkana

Utilizing AI “Magic School” and “Brisk” to Support Students and Teachers in Learning and Teaching
Veronica Alvidrez Alvarez, Ysleta Independent School District (YISD)
William L. Snyder, Ysleta Independent School District (YISD)

3:10 PM – 3:30 PM: FAREWELL DAY 2 + DOOR PRIZES

Someone who attends all sessions on Day 2 will qualify for 5.25 hours of PD credit.

DOWNLOADS

Download or print a flyer to display at your location or send to others who may be interested in attending the symposium.

Download a printable copy of the symposium program. [link whole sentence to PDF]

Printable PDF copy of the symposium program is coming soon.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Ysleta Community Learning Center

El Paso Public Libraries

[name of any sponsors or other partners – as many as relevant, new line for each]

The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)

The Texas Workforce Commission

Checked/updated: 1/27/25

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