DWD Will Offer Scholarships for the COABE Conference!
By Marie Mackintosh
At many of the professional development events that the Department of Workforce Development has offered recently, teachers, coordinators, and administrators alike have learned about our current priorities: standards-based education and the new high school equivalency assessment, college and career readiness, and career pathways. I hope that many of you have had the opportunity to attend one of our recent events and that you’ve picked up a few strategies that will help in the classroom.
In an effort to continue offering quality professional development opportunities to the field, I am pleased to announce that DWD will offer scholarships for 24 adult educators to attend the National Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE) Conference: Forging the Future: Building Bridges in the Steel City, which will be held in Pittsburgh, March 16th-19th 2014.
This opportunity will allow participants to collaborate with colleagues, build connections, and learn from other adult education professionals from around the nation. Moreover, the context of the conference fits in very well with Indiana’s priorities, in particular the important role that adult education must play in building a world-class workforce in Indiana.
Specifically, the conference will focus on the following questions:
- What is the role of the workforce education system in a global economy and what role should adult education play in that system?
- How do we balance the increasing emphasis on workforce development with the varying educational and social needs and goals of adult students?
- To meet 21st century demands what should take place in the 21st century adult education classroom and why?
- What does an adult education system built for student learning look like and why?
What excites me most about this scholarship opportunity is that we will require all recipients to share what they have learned to a much wider audience of Indiana colleagues at a future professional development event.
Applications should be returned to Regional DWD Adult Education Coordinators no later than 4:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday, January 31st, 2014. For more information about the 2014 COABE National Conference, click here. Any questions concerning the scholarship opportunity and application may be sent to DWDAdultEdPD@dwd.in.gov.
Keep up the good work that you are doing in adult education around the state. You are making a meaningful impact on so many lives, and we’re thrilled that we can support you through this scholarship opportunity.
