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 SOUTH TEXAS SYMPOSIUM:
Click on any of the links below to go straight to that section, or simply scroll down the page.
BASIC INFORMATION
The 2025 South Texas Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the South Texas Literacy Coalition and Literacy Texas.
The symposium has the theme “Life’s Tapestry: Art & Words” and will be held on:
Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM (CT).
Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:00 AM.
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 5 hours of professional development.
LOCATION
This symposium will be held in the ballroom, UTRGV: 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539.
FREE ONLINE REGISTRATION
This session has reached capacity and is no longer accepting new registrations
Registration for this session has now closed – but we have a few spots available for last-minute registrants! Call us on 972-926-3155 to make arrangements.
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!
PD CERTIFICATES
Someone who attends a session in every timeslot will receive 5 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: Literacy Texas does have an annual conference! It’s held every summer.
Our regional symposia are separate to the conference.
Each symposium:
- Takes place in a different Texas region to help minimize travel
- Has a local focus
- Is free to attend
- Is generally a single day (some symposia are 2 days)
- Includes workshops for both classroom instructors and program administrators
- Is the primary training Literacy Texas offers for literacy volunteers
- Offers 5+ hours of professional development
A: Anyone interested in adult and family literacy in Texas is welcome at the symposium. The people who will gain the most are instructors at community-based adult and family literacy organizations and nonprofits.
Volunteer tutors and teachers are especially welcome!
When we create the symposium program, 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.
Two words: LOCAL + FREE!
Each symposium program focuses on the local needs of the region. When you complete our Annual Survey every year, we use the results to invite speakers and presenters on topics you said you particularly wanted and needed.
Furthermore, registration is free. You won’t need a large budget for travel or an overnight stay, in the vast majority of cases. We hope that many folks from the same organization can come to the symposium – there’s no limit on how many people can attend from one place. It’s a lot harder to send lots of people to conferences, since we know costs stack up pretty quickly.
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 (since we’ve already paid for food, materials, and more).
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.
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.
PROGRAM, SESSIONS, & SPEAKERS
See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops will be linked here when confirmed.
Schedule: Saturday, February 22, 2025
Schedule will be kept as current as possible but is subject to change; check back here for updates
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM: CHECK-IN, BREAKFAST
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM: WELCOME, OPENING REMARKS
Dr. Ida Acuña-Garza, South Texas Literacy Coalition
Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Session 1 (75 min)
Accountability – Telling Your Story
Sabrina Walker-Hernandez, Supporting World Hope, LLC (Nonprofit Management)
Enhancing ESL Instruction with AI: Practical Tools for Engaging Learning
Dr. Irene Ramos, TCALL
Understanding Literacy in a Wider Context
Dr. Ida Acuña-Garza, South Texas Literacy Coalition
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
Session 2 (75 min)
ESL Alive, Awake, and Fun*
Karen Peiser, TCALL
*Repeated in session 3
English for Employability: Purposeful Planning for Adult Learners
Kenya Preuninger, Pearson Education
Effective PACT (Parent And Child Together) Time
Karla Rodriguez, Educator
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: WORKING LUNCH + KEYNOTE
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Amanda Johnston, 2024 Texas Poet Laureate
“Examining Life Through Literacy”
+ Time to visit exhibitors and author tables
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Session 3 (60 min)
ESL Alive, Awake, and Fun*
Karen Peiser, TCALL
*Repeated from session 2
Financial Literacy & Budgeting
Dr. Irene Ramos, TCALL
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Session 4 (60 min)
Motivating Reluctant Readers
Dr. Arlene Longoria, BLOOM Project
Cassidy Martinez, BLOOM Project
Teaching Civics & Citizenship
Region One ESC – Adult Education
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM: FAREWELL & DOOR PRIZES
EXHIBITORS
Author – Roy Cervantes
Author – Elizabeth Huerta
Author – David Leija
Author – Faustino Lopez
Author – Rosa Esthela Mora
Author – David Norec
Author – Victor Vasquez
DOWNLOADS
Download a flyer to display at your location or send to others who may be interested in attending the symposium.
Download a printable 2-page symposium program (PDF).
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
South Texas Literacy Coalition
UTRGV
The Texas Center for Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)
The Texas Workforce Commission
STAY IN THE KNOW -
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Checked/updated: 2/26/25
