Guest blog post by Wes Young, MLS, Executive Director, Tarrant Literacy Coalition

The effects of the ongoing pandemic have brought many deficiencies into sharp focus.

The people who have been most severely affected by the pandemic tend to be those we work with in adult education classrooms across our community; lost jobs due to layoffs, decreased income, health scares and related concerns – all are new realities that our adult learners AND their families experience. 

On top of the daily responsibilities our learners face in everyday life, these new burdens strain capabilities and threaten personal growth through education.

Those who work with learners in any capacity do not always know the whole story or see the complete picture. We see a student drop out of class, and we think, “Well, there goes another one,” but the reality is that educators could do more to save that student with a little more understanding. 

The old-as-time expression ‘walk a mile in my shoes’ may seem like a cliché, but it is an essential part of reaching learners where they are; Tarrant Literacy Coalition is using this year’s DFW Literacy Symposium as a way into the lives of our learners.

Join us for the in-person 2021 DFW Literacy Symposium: Poverty and Education – a professional development experience unlike any you have ever participated in. 

The symposium will be held: 

Friday, October 8, 2021
7:00am to 5:00pm

Venue: George W. Hawkes Downtown Library and the Arlington City Council Chambers, two buildings on the same block. 

Registrant check-in will open at 6:30am in the Council Chambers building, with the day officially beginning at 7:00am. Our general session speaker will feature Dr. Horacio Sanchez, author and neuroscientist, presenting the session “Overcoming the Impact of Poverty on the Brain.”

Following the opening session, attendees will be split into two groups, and each will participate in the two remaining sessions for the day. One is a fabulous session presented by Theresa Sands of TCALL, “Beyond Poverty & Trauma with Adult Literacy.” The other session is a full-scale poverty simulation presented by ACH Child and Family Services. After lunch, the two groups will attend the session they did not participate in during the first half of the day. 

A simulation like this has not been offered to educators in DFW in many years, and it is something you DO NOT want to miss.

Registration for the event is now open. Read more about this one-of-a-kind event and register for the Symposium FOR FREE.

Film Director Richard Eyre once said, “Change begins with understanding, and understanding begins by identifying oneself with another person: in a word, empathy.” 

Tarrant Literacy Coalition and our sponsors hope that you will join us for an event sure to change your perspective and increase your empathy.

Professional Development credit (8.5 hours) is available.
Lunch will be provided.
Parking instructions can be found here.