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The 5 AM Scholar: How Texas Adults Are Redefining Where and When Learning Happens

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This is a guest post by Vaschni Savain of Brainchild Unlimited, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.


It’s 5:47 AM in Houston.

While the city sleeps, Jasmine sits in her parked car outside the elementary school where she works as a custodian, earbuds in, reviewing fractions on her handheld device. In two hours, she’ll clock out, drive across town to her second job at a retail store, then pick up her three kids from aftercare. But right now, in these stolen 20 minutes before her shift starts, she’s mastering algebra.

Sound impossible? If you’re an adult literacy educator, you know it’s just another Tuesday.

The Myth of the “Traditional” Adult Learner

We talk about adult education like it happens in neat, scheduled blocks. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6 – 8 PM. But here’s the reality: your most determined students are often the ones who can least afford traditional schedules.

Take Jasmine. She’s been working toward her HSE for three years—not because she lacks motivation, but because life keeps happening. When her youngest got sick, she missed two weeks of classes. When her car broke down, she couldn’t make it to campus for a month. When her hours got cut at one job, she picked up shifts at another.

Traditional education says Jasmine is “inconsistent.” We say she’s incredibly resourceful.

Education in the Margins: Where Real Learning Happens

The most transformative education often happens in the spaces between life’s demands:

The Break Room Scholar: Marcus, a line cook in San Antonio, uses his 15-minute breaks to work through science lessons. Three breaks a day, five days a week. In six months, he’s completed two full units while his co-workers scroll social media.

The Commuter Student: Patricia takes public transit 90 minutes each way to her job as a hotel housekeeper in Dallas. That’s three hours daily of uninterrupted study time—if she has curriculum that works offline and doesn’t drain her phone battery.

The Night Shift Parent: After her kids are asleep, Carmen settles into her kitchen with a cup of coffee and her Study Buddy device. No internet required, no glowing screen to wake the baby, just quiet progress toward her goals.

Learning That Bends—Without Breaking

Here’s what traditional education gets wrong: it assumes adult learners should rearrange their lives around their education. But Carmen can’t abandon her kids for evening classes. Marcus can’t leave his kitchen during dinner rush. Patricia can’t afford to cut her work hours.

What they need is education that respects their reality while honoring their ambition.

Flexible doesn’t mean compromised. Just because Carmen studies at midnight doesn’t mean her education should be less rigorous than someone in a classroom.

Self-paced doesn’t mean solitary. When Marcus completes a challenging unit during his break, he’s not just learning science—he’s proving to himself that he can master anything he sets his mind to.

Mobile doesn’t mean minimal. Patricia’s commute curriculum is comprehensive, covering everything she needs for her HSE while fitting into the time she actually has available.

The Ripple Effect: Why This Transforms Families

When Jasmine finally passes her HSE exam, something magical happens. Her 10-year-old son stops saying “I’m just bad at math” and starts asking “How did you figure that out, Mom?” Her teenage daughter, who’s been struggling in high school, suddenly has proof that it’s never too late to turn things around.

But the transformation starts long before graduation day. It starts at 5:47 AM when her kids see mom studying in the car. It starts when Marcus explains photosynthesis to his nephew using concepts he learned during his break. It starts when Patricia helps her daughter with homework using skills she’s developing on the bus.

Honoring the Hustle: What Educators Can Do

If you’re serving adult learners in Texas, you already know your students are incredibly capable. They’re managing complex lives with grace, working multiple jobs with dignity, and pursuing education despite—not because of—their circumstances.

What they need from us isn’t sympathy or lower standards. They need:

Respect for their time: Every minute of study time is precious when stolen from sleep or family time.

Honor for their intelligence: They’re not “behind.” They’re moving forward—at the pace life allows.

Tools that work anywhere: In break rooms, on buses, in cars, in quiet kitchens after midnight.

Content that builds on their experience: They’ve been problem-solving, budgeting, negotiating, and leading all their lives. Education should acknowledge that wisdom.

Practical Tools: Meeting Students Where They Actually Are

Ready to support your 5 AM scholars? Here are concrete strategies that work for students with complex lives:

Flexible Learning Solutions

“Study Anywhere” Kits: Provide offline-capable devices or printed materials that don’t rely on WiFi. Students like Patricia can study during long commutes, and Marcus can make the most of his breaks—without worrying about data limits or dropped connections. Devices like Brainchild’s Study Buddy III handheld make this possible, delivering a full curriculum anytime, anywhere—without the frustration of low bandwidth, drained batteries, or inaccessible content.

Micro-Learning Modules: Break content into 10-15 minute chunks. A complete lesson that fits into a work break is more valuable than a 2-hour session they can’t attend.

Multiple Access Points: Offer the same content through different delivery methods—online for when they have WiFi, offline for when they don’t, and print backup for emergency situations.

Schedule-Smart Strategies

Rolling Enrollment: Let students start anytime rather than waiting for traditional semester starts. When Carmen finally gets childcare figured out, she shouldn’t have to wait three months to begin.

Competency-Based Progression: Focus on what students know, not how long they’ve been studying. Some students master concepts quickly during intense study bursts; others need longer, steadier approaches.

“Life Happens” Policies: Build in formal accommodations for the realities of adult life—sick kids, car troubles, work schedule changes. Make re-entry seamless, not shameful.

Communication That Works

Text-Based Check-ins: Quick encouragement via text fits better into busy lives than lengthy phone calls. “Great progress on Unit 3! You’ve got this.”

Peer Connection Networks: Connect students with similar schedules or life circumstances. The single mom working nights can support the single dad working days.

Progress Celebrations: Acknowledge small wins immediately. When Marcus completes a unit during his break, that achievement deserves recognition right away, not at the next class meeting.

Family-Centered Approaches

Take-Home Learning: Provide materials that students can share with family members. When Jasmine reviews math concepts, her kids can learn alongside her.

Flexible Testing: Offer multiple testing times and formats. Some students test better at 7 AM before work; others prefer Saturday mornings when childcare is available.

Success Documentation: Help students track and share their progress. A certificate for completing a challenging unit means more when the whole family can celebrate.

Resource Maximization

Community Partnerships: Connect with local businesses that employ your students. Maybe Marcus’s restaurant would support a 15-minute learning break policy if they understood the long-term benefits.

Technology Lending: Provide devices that students can take home. Learning shouldn’t stop because someone can’t afford the latest technology.

Bilingual Support Systems: For Spanish-speaking learners, provide content that switches seamlessly between languages—building on linguistic strengths rather than treating them as barriers.

The key insight: Your most successful interventions will be the ones that honor your students’ intelligence while adapting to their reality. They’re not failing to fit your system—your system needs to evolve to serve them.

The Quiet Power of 5 AM

There’s something profound about studying at 5 AM. The world is quiet. The day’s demands haven’t started yet. It’s just you, your goals, and the belief that this moment—this lesson, this practice problem, this small step forward—matters.

Jasmine knows this truth. So does Marcus. So does Patricia. They’re not studying at unconventional hours because they have to—they’re studying because they want to, because they’ve found a way to make education fit into lives that don’t stop for traditional schedules.

As educators, our job isn’t to change their lives to fit our systems. It’s to build bridges between their dreams and their reality.

Because transformation doesn’t keep office hours. It happens at 5 AM in a parking lot, during 15-minute breaks, on evening commutes, and after kids are tucked into bed. It happens whenever someone decides that today is the day to take one more step toward who they’re becoming.

How are you supporting the 5 AM scholars in your program? Share your stories—because every unconventional learning journey deserves recognition, and every creative solution might inspire another educator.

Contact Brainchild Unlimited | 800-811-2722 | www.brainchild.com

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Adult Literacy and the Workforce: Building Skills for a Better Future

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This is a guest post by BurlingtonEnglish, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.

In today’s job market, literacy extends far beyond the ability to read and write. It includes understanding, communicating, and applying knowledge in practical ways that enable individuals to function effectively at work and in daily life. Yet over 43 million adults in the U.S. possess low literacy skills, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s nearly one in five adults who may struggle with filling out a job application, understanding workplace safety protocols, or even reading a paycheck.

This skills gap has a ripple effect not just on individual careers, but on families, communities, and the economy. To meet the demands of today’s workforce, adult education must take a holistic approach, integrating job preparation, soft skills, digital literacy, and financial literacy into literacy instruction.

One powerful tool addressing this need is Burlington Ready to Work, a comprehensive course designed to help adult learners build the essential skills they need to find and keep employment in today’s competitive job market.

Why Adult Literacy Matters More Than Ever

Workforce success begins with literacy. Adults with strong literacy and communication skills are more likely to obtain steady jobs, earn higher wages, and pursue career advancement. On the flip side, low literacy often correlates with low wages, job insecurity, and limited upward mobility.

But employers also feel the impact. From errors in communication to safety concerns and limited productivity, businesses lose time and money when their workforce lacks basic skills. That’s why investing in adult literacy and equipping learners with relevant, work-focused education is critical for long-term economic stability.

Job Preparation: More Than Resumes

Today’s job seekers need more than a polished resume, they need to understand how to interpret job postings, complete online applications, and prepare for interviews. Burlington Ready to Work directly supports this need by providing workforce readiness vocabulary, functional language practice, and real-world job scenarios.

Its curriculum offers career-focused lessons that simulate real workplace tasks. Whether it’s communicating with customers, interacting with a supervisor, or preparing for a job interview, learners get practical experience that translates directly to the workplace.

This kind of job preparation gives adult learners confidence and competence, not only to get a job, but to succeed in it.

Soft Skills: The Hidden Currency of Employment

In addition to hard skills, employers consistently prioritize soft skills—communication, teamwork, adaptability, and time management. These are the skills that help people work effectively with others and handle the day-to-day challenges of professional life.

Burlington Ready to Work incorporates explicit soft skills training into its lessons. Learners read and talk about teamwork, resolving workplace conflicts, and managing time and tasks efficiently. This focus ensures learners aren’t just trained for the technical aspects of a job but are equipped to thrive in diverse work environments.

Digital Literacy: The New Baseline

In today’s economy, digital skills are no longer optional. Job applications, communication with employers, online scheduling systems, and even time clocks are increasingly digitized. Yet, many adults with low literacy also lack digital access and confidence.

BurlingtonEnglish bridges this gap by integrating technology-based instruction into its platform. Learners not only gain valuable literacy skills and workplace vocabulary but also learn how to navigate digital tools safely and effectively, whether writing emails or using job search platforms. The online platform is intuitive and learner-friendly, making it accessible to adults with limited digital experience.

This dual focus on language and digital literacy prepares learners for the realities of modern workplaces—where being digitally prepared is essential.

Financial Literacy: Empowering Life Beyond the Job

Financial stress is one of the leading causes of workplace absenteeism and distraction. Many adult learners struggle with budgeting, credit management, or understanding their pay stubs, issues that can lead to financial instability.

Recognizing this, Burlington Ready to Work includes financial literacy content that helps learners understand personal finance concepts like budgeting, banking, and credit. These lessons are designed with clear language, real-life examples, and practical tools to empower adults to take control of their financial futures.

Financial literacy strengthens not only the worker, but their household and community, promoting long-term economic stability.

Why this Matters

Adult literacy is a foundation for opportunity, and workforce readiness is the bridge to a better future. With the right tools, training, and support, every adult has the potential to succeed in today’s workforce. BurlingtonEnglish offers a pathway forward, helping adult learners gain the skills, confidence, and readiness they need to succeed at work and beyond.

To learn more, watch our Burlington Ready to Work video!

Click here to reach your BurlingtonEnglish representative.

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Adult Literacy’s Crucial Links to a Thriving Workforce

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Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

When finding a solution to a complex issue, the Literacy Texas team often looks for what we call the SMIT, which stands for the Single Most Important Thing. This strategy – brought to our team by the brilliant Kathryn Bauchelle – helps us drill down through all of the details of a challenge to get to the main problem we want to tackle.

Like many other organizations in the adult education and literacy world, we have been on a wild roller coaster ride that stems from federal funding instability. As we’ve navigated an ever-changing landscape, our team has considered the SMIT. What we’ve found is that more than anything else, we (and I mean we, collectively as Texas adult literacy providers) have to help people understand that our work is relevant and critical to the state’s future. The way to do that is to help them see the connection between the work we do with adult learners and the development of a strong, educated workforce.

You’ll see this approach in our programming this year. To clarify, we’ll continue to provide the same top-tier professional development you’ve grown to appreciate from Literacy Texas. However, when we talk about different areas of adult literacy (adult basic education, language learning, and computer and digital literacy, for example), you’ll notice that we’ll begin to explore those content areas through the lens of workforce preparation.

We’re not changing what we’re doing, necessarily. We’re just changing how we talk about what we are doing. An example might be that a class at your learning center called “Digital and Computer Literacy,” simply changes its name to become “Technology for the Workforce,” and we encourage our adult learners to consider how they could use those skills to find employment, improve performance in their jobs, or promote into a new position. We hope you’ll teach the same computer and digital skills that you were already sharing with your students but with a slightly new approach.

By centering on workforce development, adult learning programs could potentially have the opportunity to attract new students, and it also opens up more grant opportunities and innovative ways to connect with local corporate partners and employers. Ultimately, I believe this can actually be a really good shift in our work.

Change is hard, but right now, this shift is the SMIT. Without it, Literacy Texas – and other adult education and literacy organizations across our state – will struggle to remain relevant in the eyes of those who hold the power to either keep us going or cancel our future funding. Let’s work together so we can continue to elevate adult learners and support them as they reach their goals. 

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From Reading to Reality: Turning Literacy Into Livelihood

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This is a guest post by Southern Careers Institute, a 2025 Annual Conference sponsor.

For millions of Texans, mastering basic reading, writing, and numeracy is the first hard-won victory on the road to a better life. Roughly 4.8 million adults in the state still need some form of literacy education.

However, once adults build literacy skills, what comes next? How do newly literate Texans convert foundational skills into specialized expertise that puts food on the table?

Southern Careers Institute, a Texas-born career college with campuses from Brownsville to Austin and a growing roster of online options, exists to answer the question. Literacy opens the door to modern work, but employers hire for competence with specific tools, technologies, and regulations. SCI designs every program with that reality in mind.

Programs in healthcare, skilled trades, technology, and more embed industry vocabulary and document-heavy tasks (such as charting vital signs, interpreting wiring schematics, or troubleshooting cloud networks) into daily lab practice so that reading becomes doing.

Contextualized instruction turns comprehension into competence

Research shows that adults learn best when new information is tethered to immediate goals. SCI’s instructors, many of whom bring years of field experience, translate textbook language into job-site readiness the moment a lesson begins. In an HVAC classroom, for example, a vocabulary that includes “thermodynamics” and “refrigerant cycle” is paired with a lab assignment that requires students to read a pressure-temperature chart and adjust gauges on a live system. The reading comprehension built in earlier literacy classes now drives hands-on troubleshooting, and mistakes become teachable moments instead of barriers.

Healthcare programs follow the same pattern. Students study medical terminology one day and transcribe patient-intake notes the next, reinforcing spelling, abbreviations, and privacy regulations in real time. By weaving technical literacy into performance tasks, SCI helps adult learners internalize the specialized language employers expect without forcing them back into abstract theory alone.

Adult-friendly pacing and supports

Time and cost are chief concerns for adult learners who already juggle work and family. Most SCI programs can be completed in as little as five to fifteen months, depending on full- or part-time enrollment, so momentum from an adult-education milestone is not lost to multi-year detours.

Day and evening schedules, online formats, and career-services coaching reduce friction even further. SCI’s CareerHub job-matching tool lets students see Texas-wide openings mapped against the licenses or certifications each role requires, creating a clear line of sight from coursework to paycheck.

Employer alignment closes the skills gap

Texas businesses routinely cite a shortage of workers with soft skills and technical know-how. SCI maintains advisory boards of regional employers who preview curricula and suggest updates so that lessons stay current. Graduates are trained to sit for industry-recognized certifications and when appropriate train on advanced equipment their future supervisors already use, rather than relearning their skills from scratch on the job.

By the time an SCI student unwraps a diploma or certificate, the distance from literacy to livelihood has been reduced to a single step of applying for a new job.

Walking through the open door

Texas still has work to do before every adult reaches basic literacy, but thousands cross that threshold each year. SCI stands ready for the adults who built foundational skills, transforming the ability to read about opportunity into specialized training. For adults who have already proven they can learn, the next lesson is simple: specialized skills are within reach, and the classroom is designed for the lives they already lead.

Adults ready to take their next step towards a new career should visit scitexas.edu

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The Power of Connection: Strengthening English Learning Nationwide

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By Rachel Fuchs, Intercambio Director of Product Sales and National Network

Originally published March 24, 2025 | Updated for Literacy Texas

At Intercambio, Connection Drives Everything We Do

Based in Colorado, Intercambio is a national nonprofit that builds meaningful connections and stronger communities through English education. All our programming stems from the belief that shared learning experiences and authentic relationships break down barriers, build confidence, and foster inclusion. While our day-to-day focus is often on supporting one-on-one connections between our 500+ local English learners and their teachers, our national team is focused on expanding that same spirit of connection at the organizational level – ultimately reaching tens of thousands more.

Launching the Intercambio Network

That vision became the foundation of the Intercambio Network. Since 2020, more than 160 organizations have participated in the Network’s growing number of opportunities to connect, share, and grow together. Membership is offered at two levels – Family and Friend – and both provide valuable access to professional development and peer support.

Family members, for example, receive the same comprehensive online teacher training that Intercambio volunteers use to prepare for teaching with our Confidence and Connections curriculum. These workshops not only provide practical tools but also a sense of belonging – more than 1,800 individuals have participated so far, and each cohort is invited into an online community where members can introduce themselves, ask questions, and find support.

“We have really benefited from our membership. It has helped us create more structure in our program and we have received positive feedback from both volunteers and students.”

Andrea De Jong, Permian Basin Adult Literacy Center in Midland, TX

Supporting Educators and Program Leaders Nationwide

In addition to teacher training, the Intercambio Network offers ongoing learning and connection throughout the year. Monthly virtual connection hours, teaching workshops, and an annual online summer conference bring educators together to share practices and stay energized. Last year’s conference welcomed over 270 participants from across the country.

For program administrators, we host structured Networking Calls three times a year. These themed calls create space for leaders to connect, ask questions, and collaborate on common challenges. Past conversations have explored topics like measuring program impact, weaving equity into decision-making, and introducing group classes into historically one-on-one models. Again and again, we see how valuable it is for practitioners to know they’re not alone – and to learn from each other in real time.

Connection as a Core Strategy

I’ve often mused that Intercambio is in the business of connection through mutual learning and relationship-building. We could choose to do that in many different ways; we just happen to do that through English acquisition. And as the Intercambio Network continues to grow in strength, it’s clearer than ever that connection is at the core of what we do there, too.

To learn more about the Intercambio Network and how your program can get involved, visit intercambio.org/network.

You can find Intercambio Uniting Communities among the exhibitors at the 2025 Literacy Texas Annual Conference.

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Elevating English Proficiency through Visual Literacy

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This is a guest post by Tara Benwell, VP of Publishing at Ellii.

You can find Ellii among the exhibitors at the 2025 Literacy Texas Annual Conference.

Visual literacy is an essential life skill that complements language learning. Emily Bryson, a graphic facility expert and guest blogger with Ellii, is a strong proponent of the power of visuals. Emily frequently reminds educators how much of the information we encounter each day comes from images, symbols, signs, and diagrams.

In English language classrooms, fostering visual literacy is key to helping students navigate and understand the world around them. Visual literacy helps learners to:

  • understand main ideas from pictures before reading
  • grasp complex processes through diagrams
  • use online platforms or apps by recognizing icons
  • stay safe by interpreting signs and symbols
  • analyze meaning, think critically, and discuss opinions
  • inspire curiosity and exploration
  • communicate creatively
  • share information effectively

Did you know that Ellii originally started as a library of images? Before it was known as ESL Library—and later, Ellii—teachers subscribed to ESL Images. While teaching English in Japan, Ellii’s founder, Ben Buckwold, relied on visuals to support his lessons. When he couldn’t find the simple, engaging imagery he needed, he created his own library. You can hear the full origin story of Ellii on this episode of The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast.

Today, Ellii is both an LMS and a content library full of ready-made lessons, courses, and visuals to keep language learners engaged, especially in those crucial emerging levels. Ellii’s Media Gallery offers a comprehensive collection of high-quality images and videos to help teachers elicit, teach, and reinforce vocabulary and grammar structures as well as spark engagement and interaction in the classroom. And the best part? The content was created specifically for ELLs.

Here are four types of visuals Ellii suggests experimenting with to elevate English proficiency:

1. Flashcards

Over the years, countless marketing experts have tried to convince Ben that the concept of a “flashcard” is outdated. However, Ellii’s founder strongly believes in classic teaching tools, including printable lessons and images, and our friends at Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA) agree. At a recent TESOL session, Ventures author Gretchen Bitterlin recommended sending flashcard sets home in an envelope to help promote family literacy.

Today’s flashcards are not just printable images. Many platforms, including Ellii, offer digital vocabulary images with audio support and gamification features to go along with digital (or printable) lessons. At Ellii, flashcards are created specifically for English learners by real illustrators who understand the importance of simple, iconic imagery. Teachers can edit the text that goes with these 5,000+ images, making them a practical tool in bilingual programs or for leveling vocabulary up or down in a multilevel setting. Teachers can even get creative and make their own conversation question sets!

Flashcard Library on Ellii

2. Photo Prompts

Why do you think the popular Ventures series starts each unit with a scene called The Big Picture? CUPA author Donna Price often pulls out these detailed image scenes during teacher training sessions to reinforce the power of an image in eliciting language. Each Big Picture scene includes a critical incident, activating students’ prior knowledge and creating opportunities for thematic discussion.

Ellii does something similar with its That’s News to Me section using real photos or videos from The Associated Press. There is also a full section of Photo Prompts that can be used for a variety of activities from vocabulary building to critical thinking. As Emily Bryson points out on the Ellii blog, “Using just one image, students are prompted to describe the photo, make predictions, research the history… explore reasons” and more.

Photo Prompts on Ellii

Language Scenes are a tried-and-true method for eliciting vocabulary and assessing grammar knowledge, helping teachers identify new students’ levels and needs at intake. For the lowest-level learners, including adults preparing for CASAS STEPS, identifying vocabulary through visuals is something emerging learners need to practice in order to demonstrate proficiency.

3. Silent Clips & Video Lessons

“Sometimes the best way to get a conversation going is to stay silent,” says Emily. Silent Clips are a great way to introduce and review tricky words, including action verbs, emotions, and workplace vocabulary.

Silent Clips on Ellii

And if you want to keep your students truly engaged, video lessons are the number one recommendation, especially in those no-phone classroom zones where students are likely craving more screen time. Over the last few years, Ellii has built up its video library to include 600+ ESL videos, reinforcing everything from grammar targets and pronunciation to life and workplace skills.

4. AI-Generated Imagery

Does AI-generated imagery have a place in ELT? While Ellii is sticking with its human illustrators and photographers for now, there are countless activities that teachers and students can do to hone their prompt-engineering skills. From creating 3D dolls to spotting AI-generated errors, the language opportunities are endless. And, as Caitlin Thomas of National Geographic Learning pointed out at TESOL 2025, “AI fluency is the new digital literacy.” Have some fun! We are!

Ellii plays with AI-generated images

What Literacy Teachers Are Saying about Ellii

"Ellii is the one resource that I recommend to every new teacher. It has a wide range of materials for different student needs. Daily, I use flashcards for my newcomers and the academic resources with my higher levels. Ellii has innovated so much in the past few years and continues to improve the resources available."
Lynn
"Ellii offers great collections to use as an additional resource for younger English learners. The Word Bank lessons can be used to enhance vocabulary and language acquisition and begin the foundations for writing. My students have thoroughly enjoyed the Phonics Stories this year, and flashcards help to facilitate great discussions! A parent of one of my students has even started using Ellii to help with everyday tasks. "
Anon

More #Love4Ellii

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Striking a Balance: Humanity vs Economics

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Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker

Author: Dr. Jenny McCormack Walker, Literacy Texas Executive Director

I’m a sucker for a good, gut-wrenching success story.

It’s one of the reasons I love to attend when an adult literacy CBO leader presents for a civic, social, or academic audience in their community. Five minutes after learning about Marisol, the single mom who just earned her GED after 6 years of night classes, I’m fully invested. I’m sitting in my car – ugly crying – and I’ve already texted my best friend about it. I’ve signed up for the organization’s newsletter, and I’m checking my schedule to see when I can volunteer. Those presentations speak to the core of my soul.

As a CBO leader who loves people, this is exactly how I designed every one of my community presentations for years: a great success story with a great action photo of the adult learner. Rinse and repeat. My CBO friends thought my presentations were brilliant. However, my business leader friends struggled to understand why they should care about people like Marisol.

To clarify, my business leader friends are not heartless; they just didn’t find her story relevant to their work or life.

I realized that by leaning into my love of student success stories, I was missing the opportunity to connect a large group of people to my organization’s mission. I knew that I had to be intentional in making sure my messages spoke to everyone in the room. Since money impacts us all, I began shifting my presentations toward the connection between adult literacy and economic development.

In recent years, major companies have expanded operations in Texas or relocated their entire corporation here altogether. In fact, so many businesses moved to Texas, Governor Abbott’s office declared our state to be the official “headquarters of headquarters.” And corporations aren’t the only ones settling in the Lone Star state. According to an article from Texas Public Radio, over half a million new residents moved here last year: more than any other state in the country.

Those companies need employees, and those new residents need jobs. Adult literacy organizations’ unique ability to make those connections through academic and workforce development programs is an interesting story worth sharing. We might not be negotiating big deals and tax incentives to attract corporations into our communities, but we’re doing our part to build up an educated workforce. My business leader friends connect well with that sentiment (and, don’t worry, I still toss in a hearty serving of warm and fuzzy stories too!).

Finding the balance between the human and the economic side of adult literacy can make all the difference in how a message resonates when building relationships with leaders in outreach work – and end up garnering crucial support from a wider range of folks across our communities.

Our theme throughout January is Workforce Literacy, and we’re focusing on related topics throughout the month. Find general resources here, and plan to join us at a special extended Best of Texas online session focused on Workforce Literacy, on January 30.

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The Dignity of Knowing What’s Going On

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When you work in adult and family literacy, there are so many reasons to pay more than passing attention to the language you use. By definition, folks participating in our programs and activities are still learning – to speak English; to read and write fluently; maybe both – and how we present information and ideas to them really matters. 

It can be the difference between –
– understanding classroom instructions – or not.
– getting to attend a great event or activity – or missing out.
– finding the right room or person in our building – or going astray.

So language choices matter first of all for basic comprehension.

But close behind is the concept of dignity. And this can be overlooked at first glance, but it’s also crucially important. Even better, it’s a concept we can make natural and largely effortless with a bit of attention and practice.

Why does dignity matter when it comes to understanding?

Because sadly, for people in adult literacy classes, there are already too many places where their dignity has been challenged. For new Americans, there are long lines and Alien Registration numbers and maybe having to have their kid translate for them on parent-teacher evening. The brow-furrowing concentration of a simple shopping visit or the bewilderment of a doctor’s appointment. For English-speakers with low written literacy, there can be the stress and shame of hiding a reading deficit, and the vulnerability of admitting that you can’t complete the form or read the notice or sign the papers – because you can’t read them.

We want our classrooms and our literacy programs to be places of grace – of safety, and relaxation, and yes, of dignity. So taking extra time and making extra effort to make sure our signs, our instructions, our paperwork, our websites, our new student orientation, even what we say on the phone, is as easy to udnerstand as possible – well, all this is a gift. A gift of dignity.

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The simplest and most straightforward way to make your materials and programs accessible is to make a study of plain language. Literacy Texas has a page on plain language right here on the website, and we’ll be holding an online training session on this topic soon. Stay tuned, and watch our website, newsletter, and socials for more info.

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5 Things You Might Be Missing About Awards

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Let’s face it, there are a lot of awards out there. From Student of the Year to Volunteer of the Month to Community Rockstar to who knows what else, we get offered a lot of places to nominate the folks in our programs for recognition (including the Literacy Texas Annual Awards, which open every spring and are presented every year at the annual conference in the summer).

It can be… a lot.

And it’s just possible that you see these awards go by, and you think something like, “One day we should nominate someone for that… but who has the time?” You wouldn’t be alone.

But it’s also possible that you’re missing some of the reasons you really should be nominating volunteers and students for awards – and not just the Literacy Texas ones! I’m here to make the case for nominating everyone you can for every award possible.

Here’s why:

trophies

5. They might win

OK, this one you’re probably not missing. In fact, it’s likely the first thing most people think of when it comes to awards: What’s the prize? Is it “worth it”? Could the agency win money?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. Some awards DO come with money, or books, or another prize, and others come with recognition for your agency.

And winning is nice. Letting someone know they’ve won can be even nicer. And there are people who have lived their whole life and, in their own words, “never won anything”. YOUR nomination could be the first time they get publicly recognized. YOU could make that happen. Just imagine.

All of that is pretty compelling, but there are four more reasons, and I’d argue they just get more important from here.

4. You get to celebrate people you think are amazing

Hopefully you’re doing this sometimes anyway, awards or not. But there’s a saying about “not saving things to say over a coffin lid” and it’s good advice.

We sometimes think people know how we feel about them, and MAYBE they do, but pulling together an award nomination for a volunteer or student at your agency can uncover stories and sayings and other facts about them that you never knew before – and is always an excuse for a celebration (maybe even cupcakes!). Because despite everything going on right now – there is always something to celebrate. 

3. You get to TELL people that you think they're amazing

One of the things I genuinely liked the most, when I was working as a program director at a volunteer-based adult literacy organization in Houston, was telling volunteers and students that we wanted to nominate them for an award. See point #5 above – many of them said that was the first time that had ever happened. And that was always touching. 

But it just got better from there. Because as part of the nomination process, we would spend 10 minutes at the end of a staff meeting, just brainstorming as a team about what we all knew about these wonderful people. We’d gather the best of what we came up with together, complete the nomination, and submit it.

And then we’d go one step further – we’d take a few more minutes and put the nomination content together in a simple document, add our logo and any photos we had of that person in action at our agency, print it off, and give it to the nominee.

Y’all. That was ALWAYS moving. Sometimes there were tears. And usually, the person would say something like, “I never knew y’all thought all of this about me!” They had something to take home and read over again (and again!), words of praise and joy. They KNEW, without a shadow of a doubt, how much we appreciated and admired them. Volunteers knew we saw everything they did for the students, and how priceless that was to us. Students knew that we witnessed their efforts and were there alongside them cheering them on as they took steps toward the next success.

That felt like winning every time, regardless of whether our nominee actually got chosen for that award or not.

2. You model appreciation to others on your team

Remember how I said we used to brainstorm our nomination content at staff meetings, as a group? That wasn’t by accident. Of course it was a practical way to gather a lot of information in a short amount of time, so I recommend it for that reason alone. But it makes celebration, and articulating positive thoughts and compliments, a natural and accepted part of work.

The more we did it, the easier it became. Staff started to keep an eye out for fun stories that could be included in some nomination some day. One even kept a list. And it became more natural for all of us to voice that appreciation to volunteers and students throughout the week, and make positivity a daily element of our working lives.

1. You stop and feel appreciation yourself

Don’t underestimate the power of this. I don’t know you, but you’re reading this, so you probably work in adult literacy in Texas. So I know you’re tired; in fact, you were probably exhausted BEFORE the pandemic, and now – well, there probably aren’t words to describe how overworked and stressed you’ve been. And when you’re constantly exhausted and anxious, it’s very easy to fall into the habit of seeing everything with a deficit mindset: How are we going to pay for? – to manage? – to do? – to finish? – ? That’s very normal.

Being conscious of stopping, thinking, gathering positive thoughts and stories from others, writing them into a short but coherent whole, and then handing the whole beautiful account to the person you appreciate so much is all good for your body, mind, and spirit.

So – start a list of awards you can nominate folks for. You’ll have local opportunities, as well as statewide and even national awards. Take that little extra time to sit with the team and talk about what makes people wonderful. Write it up into a simple nomination. Give it to the person with a smile. So many people will be glad you did.

Nominations for the Literacy Texas Annual Awards are open now, and winners will be recognized in July. You can find out more, and submit your nominations, here.

A version of this blog post originally appeared in March 2022.

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Reading Changes You

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Every year in September, we celebrate literacy.

So – 

Happy Literacy Month!

As we begin this special month of celebration, there are all kinds of ways for you to get involved:

Complete the Literacy Texas Needs Assessment and help us make sure the upcoming year of training and advocacy gives you what you need. You’ll also be in the running for prizes! Already completed it? Please share with a Texas literacy colleague – we want as many responses as possible!

Celebrate International Literacy Day on September 8, which this year has the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’. 

Dive into Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (September 17 – 23), using quality toolkits and advocacy materials prepared by leading literacy orgs.

Relax with the Texas Great Read book choices for 2023, announced in mid-August by the Texas Center for the Book at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. And if you’re in Houston or nearby, add the 2023 Gulf Coast Reads book to your pile as well, ready for October.

And – the new Literacy Texas grant year starts on September 1, along with our new calendar of training and events. Because literacy transforms Texas! And YOU help make that happen.

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