Learn from peers about best practices and innovative ideas being put into action at literacy programs across our great state. Best of Texas aims to bring local experts together to share their wisdom and experience – and maybe help us all avoid a few pitfalls along the way.

Thank you so much for your interest!

This event is now over.

This online session will be held on:

Thursday, December 19, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM (CT).

The Zoom room will open at 9:50 AM.

Please arrive on time – the Zoom room will close to late arrivals 30 minutes after the session begins.

This session will focus on best practices in language learning, language acquisition, and ESL/ESOL in community-based adult and family literacy programs.

ABOUT THIS SESSION

We’ll start with Dr. Katie Welch (UT-Arlington) to share some data and information about ESL in Texas. Then we’ll switch to an interview format with Betty Reyes (Refugee Language Project) and Ysela Arechiga (Literacy Volunteers of Laredo) who will tell us about their ESL programs and insights they have for language-learning among adult literacy students.

Guests this month:

Katie Welch
Educational Consultant
Welch Education

Katie Welch, Ph.D., is a university instructor, teacher trainer, and active volunteer in adult ed classrooms. In addition to teaching international students in UT-Arlington’s English Language Institute and volunteering weekly in a community-based ESL/GED program, Katie currently provides professional development to language teachers through partnerships with the U.S. Department of State, Cambridge University Press, and Literacy ConneXus.

Katie’s innovative classroom ideas have been published in academic journals such as Language and American Speech, and she presents regularly at national and international conferences, including TESOL International, COABE, and the National Center for Families Learning.

Betty Reyes-Medina
Director of Language Services
Refugee Language Project

Betty Reyes-Medina serves as the Director of Language Services at the Refugee Language Project (RLP) in Amarillo, Texas. Initially joining RLP as a volunteer, she was officially hired in 2022 to lead the Interpreting Services program and oversee the Storybook Project and ESL initiatives. In her efforts to effectively serve the language needs of the refugee population in Amarillo, Betty developed an in-house curriculum tailored to Literacy, Beginner, and Intermediate students. This curriculum has been successfully implemented and continues to yield positive results in the classroom. Betty and her team are passionate about fostering a relational approach to teaching English, emphasizing community and connection.

Betty’s English education journey began in Chile while serving in the United Nations program English Opens Doors. There, she fell in love with teaching and helping others get better access to opportunities through language education. Her deep commitment to service and education inspired her to establish Mochilas para la Esperanza in 2012, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underserved communities in the Caribbean and Central America. After finishing her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language, Betty was hired as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico and other private institutions, where she taught courses in Basic and Intermediate English, Conversational English, Literature, and Research Writing.

Ysela Arechiga
ESL Specialist
Literacy Volunteers of Laredo

Ysela M. Arechiga retired in December 2022 from the position of Assistant Director, Field Operations – Mission Support for the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Laredo Field Office. Mrs. Arechiga was administratively responsible for managing a $45 million dollar budget and a broad portfolio of departments including Human Capital, Finance, Facilities, Field Training Programs, Strategic Communications, and Labor/Employee Relations. Ysela now volunteers with several organizations including Literacy Volunteers of Laredo, Laredo Theater Guild International and St. Patrick’s Church (Lector) and in her spare time, crochets.

Host:

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker
Executive Director
Literacy Texas

Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker joined Literacy Texas in January 2024, after a successful run as the Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties, a small non-profit that made a big impact on the Texarkana community during her tenure. Dr. Walker helped the organization find financial stability and expanded innovative academic and workforce program options for adult learners at her center. She and her team launched the first 100 Families Alliance in Texas, and this innovative approach to holistic support for students led to impressive growth in enrollment and goal completion rates for those she serves.

Dr. Walker was a first-generation college student who personally knows the powerful role that education plays in helping change the course of a person’s life. This passion has fueled a career in education that has spanned two decades and impacted thousands of students. She is a certified Texas teacher and principal, and she has worked in both adjunct faculty and staff positions in higher education. She has also led professional development trainings for teachers and administrators and served as a public speaker. She earned a doctorate in education leadership from Texas A&M University–Texarkana, and her dissertation research focused on the importance of holistic support for adult learners. She holds a master’s degree in education administration from Texas A&M University–Texarkana, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. Dr. Walker also attended Texarkana College and was a graduate of Liberty-Eylau High School.

This online learning session is offered free of charge to Texas nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

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