volunteers Archives - Literacy Texas

2023 Laredo Literacy Symposium

October 17, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 Laredo Literacy Symposium is co-presented by Laredo College and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on Thursday, June 15. Location, time, and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

Laredo College

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

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2023 East Texas Literacy Symposium

September 14, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 East Texas Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the East Texas Literacy Council and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, in Longview, TX. Location and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

East Texas Literacy Council

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2023 South Texas Literacy Symposium

September 13, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

The 2023 South Texas Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the South Texas Literacy Coalition and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on

Saturday, February 25, from 8:45 am to 4:00 pm

on the UTRGV Campus, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg TX 78539.

The symposium is part of the annual UTRGV Festiba celebration and has the theme “Transforming our world through arts and literacy.”

Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:00 am and both breakfast and a working lunch will be provided.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Registration is open now

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

Schedule

SYMPOSIUM OPENS: 8:00 am – 8:45 am
Check-in, breakfast, visit exhibitor and author tables

Session 1: 8:45 am – 9:30 am (45 min)
General Session – Ballroom

Greetings and introductions:
Dr. Dahlia Guerra, Founder/Director of FESTIBA, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Kendra de la Garza, President, South Texas Literacy Coalition
Steve Banta, Executive Director, Literacy Texas

Session 2: 9:30 am – 10:15 am (45 min)
Panel Discussion

Session 3: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC
Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

BREAK: 11:30am – 12:00 pm
Visit exhibitor and author tables

WORKING LUNCH 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (Ballroom)
Networking – “Trending Issues in Literacy”

Session 4: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

SYMPOSIUM CLOSES: 3:40pm – 4:00 pm
Evaluation, wrap-up, door prizes

FAREWELL

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

PD Certificates

Certificates of completion will be awarded after the event. Complete the survey after the symposium is finished to give your details and get your certificate.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: Directions & Parking

Click here for maps, directions, and parking information

Downloads:

Downloadable PDF copy of the schedule listed above is coming soon.

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

Special thanks to:

South Texas Literacy Coalition

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, College of Fine Arts

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Gulf Coast Symposium: The Evolution of Adult Education

July 26, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

The 2022 Fall Gulf Coast Literacy Symposium is co-presented by the Adult Education Center and Literacy Texas.

The symposium has the theme “The Evolution of Adult Education”, and will take place online on

Friday, November 18, 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:30 am.

You’ll get the Zoom link via email when you register.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops can be found here.

Schedule

Check-in online, welcome: 8:30 am – 9:00 am

Session 1: 9:00 am – 10:30 am (90 min)

“The Evolution of Adult Education: Transforming the Field of Today for Tomorrow’s Opportunities” – Jacqueline Aguilera, Mayor’s Office of Adult Literacy, Houston

“Setting Goals in the Adult Classroom: The Why & the How” – Kathryn Bauchelle, Literacy Texas

BREAK

Session 2: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm (90 min)

“LD Teaching Strategies for Math” – Connie Rivera, TERC

“How to Build a Flourishing Citizenship Program” – Pete Zagone, MAM

Lunch & Round Table: 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm (30 min)

Round Table discussion: “The Evolution of Adult Education”

BREAK

Session 3A: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (90 min)

“Numeracy Routines That Develop Language” – Connie Rivera, TERC

Session 3B: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (60 min)

“Breaking the Code: Helping Readers Understand How Words Work to Improve Reading Skills” – Sally Kubiak, Reading Specialist

Session 4: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (60 min)

“Working With Learners Who Have Dyslexia” – Lara Speights, Neuhaus Education Center

FAREWELL

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

See full descriptions of each session along with presenter bios

Downloads:

Download a PDF copy of the schedule outline listed above.

Download a PDF copy of the full program.

Special thanks to:

TERC

Adult Education Center

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2023 Literacy Symposium for Faith-Affiliated Programs

July 8, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 Literacy Symposium for Faith-Affiliated programs is co-presented by Literacy ConneXus and Literacy Texas.

The symposium will be held on Saturday, April 22, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Location and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

Literacy ConneXus

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2023 South Plains Literacy Symposium

July 8, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2023 South Plains Literacy Symposium is co-presented by Literacy Lubbock and Literacy Texas and has the theme, “Navigating the future of learning.”

The symposium will be held on Friday, May 19, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Location and all other details to be confirmed.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Special thanks to:

Literacy Lubbock

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

2022 Laredo Literacy Symposium

January 14, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

—–

New for 2022! Literacy Texas extends a warm welcome to new symposium presenting partner Laredo College.

The very first Laredo Literacy Symposium has the theme “Building Resilience Through Literacy” and will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, in the Kazen Student Center on the Laredo College Ft. McIntosh Campus (find a map and parking info here). Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:30 am, and both breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

Program

Click here for details about the sessions outlined below.

Check-in for registered participants: 8:30 am – 9:00 am

Welcome and Opening Plenary: 9:00 am – 10:00 am (60 min)
A light breakfast will be served

Explaining Children’s Mental Health to Caregivers with Literacy Needs

Breakout Session: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (60 min)
Select one of the two sessions below

Adult Literacy and Guided Pathways

US Citizenship and the Internationally Trained Professional

Lunch and Keynote: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (60 min)

The Impact of Workforce Development and Education on the Texas Economy

Closing Plenary: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (60 min)

Employer Panel: Employability and Workforce Skills

Farewell: 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Kazen Student Center, Laredo College: Directions & Parking

Click here for map, directions, and parking information.

Special thanks to:

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Gulf Coast Literacy Symposium – Summer

January 5, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

—–

The first 2022 Gulf Coast Literacy Symposium will be held on Saturday, June 11, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the United Way of Greater Houston: 50 Waugh Drive, Houston, TX 77007. Check-in for registered participants will open at 8:30 am, and both breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy.

See the schedule outline below; detailed descriptions of the workshops can be found here.

Schedule (subject to change)

8:30 am – 9:00 am — Check-in, breakfast (United Way auditorium)

Session 1: 9:00 am – 10:30 am (90 min)

Fun and Effective Strategies for the ESL Classroom – Martin Loa (Rooms A&B)

Contextualizing Instruction Across the Four Language Domains – Alisha Procter (Rooms C&D)

The Importance of Digital Literacy – Jacqueline Aguilera (Rooms E&F)

BREAK

Session 2: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm (90 min)

Houston’s Literacy Blueprint – Federico Salas-Isnardi (Rooms A&B)

Breaking the Code: Helping Readers Understand How Words Work to Improve Reading Skills – Sally Kubiak (Rooms C&D)

Learning Styles and How to Maximize Them – Kim Mason (Rooms E&F)

WORKING LUNCH 12:30 pm – 1:15 pm (United Way auditorium) – The Power of Collaboration – Ernest Lewis III

Session 3: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (90 min)

Retention and Persistence in an Adult Education Classroom – Martin Loa (Rooms A&B)

How to Teach the Skill of Reading Comprehension – Sally Kubiak (Rooms C&D)

GED Mathematical Reasoning – Krista Mosher (Rooms E&F)

FAREWELL

United Way of Greater Houston: Directions & Parking

Click here for maps, directions, and parking information.

Downloads:

Download a PDF copy of the schedule listed above.

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

Special thanks to:

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Building Your Literacy Program Around Adult Learner Persistence

January 3, 2022 by Kathryn Bauchelle

Thank you for your interest! Registration is now closed.

—–

Adult students don’t need literacy for its own sake – literacy needs are always linked to other life goals. Most adult students know what they need and why they want to learn – so how can we always put them at the very center of their own learning process?

In this session, we will:

Take a look at the 6 Drivers of Persistence developed by the New England Literacy Resource Center, and discuss ways they can be incorporated into your program structure;
Talk about how building your programs around Adult Learner Persistence principles can help learners to “stick with it”, learn more, and increase in confidence,
Look at the close links between Adult Learner Persistence and Plain Language, and
Discuss some practical ways you can embed the principles in your adult literacy programs.

Presenter: Kathryn Bauchelle

Kathryn has a background in education and languages, with degrees in language acquisition, literature, and education from the University of Sydney, Australia. She worked as a teacher of foreign languages and English literature in high schools in Australia and the UK, and served as a Head of Faculty for Modern Languages. Her work with the Jubilee Debt Campaign, a London-based NGO, fueled her interest in social justice and community work, leading her to volunteer as an ESL tutor with Literacy Advance following her move to the United States in 2008.

She joined the Literacy Advance staff in 2009 as the Volunteer Manager, became Program Director in 2011, and then VP of Programs & Partnerships in 2017, working closely with both Programs and Development staff. After the successful merging of Literacy Advance with Memorial Assistance Ministries in 2019, Kathryn moved to consultancy work, including her part-time work with Literacy Texas. Kathryn continues to love adult literacy and learning, and found the Adult Learner Persistence Principles to be transformational when she was researching ways to structure the programs she was directing.

2022 Literacy Symposium for Faith-Affiliated Programs

December 2, 2021 by Kathryn Bauchelle

Thank you so much for coming! This event is now over.

Check the Literacy Texas YouTube channel for recordings from this session, and from many others.

—–

The 2022 Literacy Symposium for Faith-Affiliated Programs has the theme “Pandemic Perseverance“.

This symposium is offered free of charge to educators, volunteer tutors, ESL teachers, and other library and nonprofit professionals who work in the fields of adult and family literacy. While this symposium is specifically focused on volunteers and staff at faith-affiliated literacy programs, all literacy volunteers and staff are welcome to attend.

Schedule

WELCOME (9:00 am – 9:15 am)

Session 1: 9:20 am – 10:20 am (60 min)

Starting a New ESL Ministry – Or Starting Over (Karen Peiser) – Administrative Track

Knowing Our Students to Meet Their ESL Needs (Angela Garcia) – ESL Teaching Track

Session 2: 10:25 am – 11:25 pm (60 min)

Storytime and Networking Across Texas (Lester Meriwether) – Administrative Track

Differentiation for Multilevel Classrooms (Nikki Ashcraft) – ESL Teaching Track

Session 3: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (60 min)

Self-Care 101 (Katie Welch) – Administrative Track

Getting Students Talking by Asking the Right Questions (Cindy Kilpatrick) – ESL Teaching Track

Session 4: 12:35 pm – 1:35 pm (60 min)

Teaching ESL in a Church Context (Matthew Johnston) – Administrative Track

Teaching Via Zoom vs In Person (Karen Peiser) – ESL Teaching Track

Session 5: 1:40 pm – 2:40 pm (60 min)

Questions for Literacy ConneXus and Texas Trainers – Administrative Track

“But how do I – ?” – Q&A with Experienced ESL Teachers – ESL Teaching Track

PRIZE DRAWING, FAREWELL (2:45pm – 3:00 pm)

More details about each session can be found here.

Please note that we won’t be taking a long break for lunch, so have any snacks, drinks, or meals close to hand!

The sessions will be recorded and will be made available on the Literacy Texas YouTube channel after the event.

Downloads:

Download a detailed copy of the schedule above (PDF).

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

Special thanks to:

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

The Texas Workforce Commission

Watch this space, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to get all the details as they’re confirmed:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

SAVE THE DATE!

Special thanks to:

SAVE THE DATE!

Special thanks to:

Saturday, February 25, from 8:45 am to 4:00 pm

Schedule

Session 1: 8:45 am – 9:30 am (45 min) General Session – Ballroom

Session 2: 9:30 am – 10:15 am (45 min) Panel Discussion

Session 3: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (60 min) Concurrent sessions – details TBC Track 1: Teaching Techniques Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 4: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (60 min) Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm (60 min) Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy Track 3: Volunteer Management

PD Certificates

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: Directions & Parking

Downloads:

Special thanks to:

Friday, November 18, 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Schedule

Session 1: 9:00 am – 10:30 am (90 min)

Session 2: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm (90 min)

Session 3A: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (90 min)

Session 3B: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm (60 min)

Session 4: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (60 min)

Downloads:

Special thanks to:

SAVE THE DATE!

Special thanks to:

SAVE THE DATE!

Special thanks to:

Program

Kazen Student Center, Laredo College: Directions & Parking

Special thanks to:

Schedule (subject to change)

Session 1: 9:00 am – 10:30 am (90 min)

Session 2: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm (90 min)

Session 3: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (90 min)

United Way of Greater Houston: Directions & Parking

Downloads:

Special thanks to:

Schedule

Session 1: 9:20 am – 10:20 am (60 min)

Session 2: 10:25 am – 11:25 pm (60 min)

Session 3: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (60 min)

Session 4: 12:35 pm – 1:35 pm (60 min)

Session 5: 1:40 pm – 2:40 pm (60 min)

Downloads:

Special thanks to:

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Quick Links

Events Calendar

Session 1: 8:45 am – 9:30 am (45 min)
General Session – Ballroom

Session 2: 9:30 am – 10:15 am (45 min)
Panel Discussion

Session 3: 10:30 am – 11:30 am (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC
Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 4: 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management

Session 5: 2:40 pm – 3:40 pm (60 min)
Concurrent sessions – details TBC

Track 1: Teaching Techniques
Track 2: Emerging Trends in Adult Literacy
Track 3: Volunteer Management