AEFL Week
This year, COABE continues our decade of work leading a nationwide celebration by being both on the Hill and also providing members with ready-to-use resources, social media graphics, daily themes, promotional materials, webinar opportunities, and inspiring student success stories to help programs engage their communities and showcase the transformative power of adult education.
Day 1 - Monday, September 14, 11:00 AM EST
Adult Education Works: AEFL Week Kickoff for a Week of Learning, Leadership, and Impact
Join COABE live from the U.S. Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C., for the official kickoff of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. This high-profile event will feature Assistant Secretary of Education Kirsten Baesler and Dewayne Duncan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE).
Hear directly from national education leaders about the vital role adult education plays in strengthening America’s workforce, expanding economic opportunity, and transforming the lives of adult learners and their families. Together, we will launch a week of learning, leadership, innovation, and impact while celebrating the programs, practitioners, partners, and learners who demonstrate every day that Adult Education Works!
Kirsten Baesler
Assistant Secretary of Education
Dewayne Duncan
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)
Sharon Bonney
CEO, COABE
Shaketta Thomas
Board President, COABE
Hector Martinez
Board President-Elect, COABE and State Director, Kansas
Day 2 - Tuesday, September 15, 2:00 PM EST
Building the Case Through Data: Measuring and Communicating Adult Education ROI
In partnership with the Educate and Elevate Foundation, this session will explore how adult education programs can use data to demonstrate their powerful return on investment. Participants will learn about COABE’s groundbreaking longitudinal study, which follows adult learners over time to document the lasting effects of adult education on employment, earnings, postsecondary transitions, civic engagement, family well-being, and other life outcomes.
The session will also offer practical strategies for translating data into a compelling case for adult education and communicating that impact to policymakers, funders, employers, workforce partners, and community leaders. By pairing credible longitudinal evidence with powerful learner stories, the field can show that investing in adult education strengthens individuals, families, communities, the workforce, and the economy.
Sharon Bonney
CEO, COABE
Hector Martinez
Board President-Elect, COABE and State Director, Kansas
Dr. Don Finn
COABE Journal Chair
Julie Clark
Kansas Board of Regents
Associate Director for High School Equivalency
Day 3 - Wednesday, September 16, 2:00 PM EST
Adult Education Innovation Showcase: Lightning Talks with Local Programs
Innovation is happening every day in adult education programs across the country—and this fast-paced showcase will bring some of the field’s most exciting ideas to the national stage. Through a series of engaging lightning talks, local programs will share creative, field-tested approaches that are improving instruction, expanding access, strengthening partnerships, supporting learners, and achieving meaningful results.
Participants will leave inspired by practical strategies, promising practices, and replicable models that can be adapted in their own programs and communities. Join us as we elevate local voices, celebrate ingenuity, and showcase the remarkable work transforming adult education nationwide.
Alex Beene
Tennessee
Beverly Wilson
Arizona
Joel Floyd
California
Apolonio Valdovinos
California
Curtis Ward
Georgia
Sharnee Hobbs
Alabama
Grover Welch
Arkansas
Sabiha Patel
Illinois
Haley Boone
North Carolina
Robert Garcia
Arizona
Day 4 - Thursday, September 17, 2:00 PM EST
Employer Round Table: From Opportunity to Employment—Building Career Pathways
Hear directly from employers about what it takes to move adult learners from education and training into meaningful, family-sustaining careers. This dynamic roundtable will explore how employers and adult education programs can work together to identify workforce needs, develop relevant career pathways, address barriers to employment, and prepare learners with the academic, digital, technical, and workplace skills needed to succeed.
Employer partners will share real-world perspectives, effective practices, and examples of partnerships that connect talent with opportunity. Participants will leave with practical ideas for engaging employers, strengthening career pathways, and positioning adult education as an essential part of the nation’s workforce and talent-development system.
Amy Staska
National Roofing Contractors Association
Tiffany Vause
Florida Ready to Work
Josiah Hannah
Coalfield Development
Vanessa Jester
Turner Construction
Day 5 - Friday, September 18, 2:00 PM EST
Showcasing the Talent Pipeline Edition of the COABE Journal
Conclude AEFL Week with a special showcase of the Talent Pipeline Edition of the COABE Journal, copublished by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and COABE in partnership with the Educate and Elevate Foundation. This timely edition examines adult education’s essential role in developing skilled talent, connecting learners to career pathways, and helping employers meet evolving workforce needs.
Hear from featured contributors as they highlight research, promising practices, innovative partnerships, and field-based strategies that connect adult learners to education, credentials, employment, and economic mobility. The session will demonstrate how adult education serves as a vital talent pipeline—creating opportunity for learners while strengthening employers, industries, communities, and the national economy.
Maria Flynn
CEO, Jobs for the Future
Dr. Don Finn
Journal Chair, COABE
Sharon Bonney
CEO, COABE
Daily
9:00 AM EST
Rise N' Shine Podcast with Jeff Abramowitz
During National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, the Rise N Shine Podcast brings together national, state, and local leaders who are driving change in adult education. Each episode highlights inspiring stories, innovative strategies, and impactful policy efforts that advance literacy, workforce development, and lifelong learning opportunities for adults across the country. Tune in to hear how communities are coming together to elevate adult learners and strengthen economic mobility through education.
Monday
August 10
2:00 PM EST
Ready, Set, Celebrate! Preparing for Adult Education & Family Literacy Week. Everything you need to plan, promote, and celebrate AEFL Week in your community.
To kick off the celebration, members joined us on Monday, August 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET for our prep webinar entitled, "Ready, Set, Celebrate! Preparing for Adult Education & Family Literacy Week" During this interactive webinar, they received an overview of this year's campaign, learned creative ways to engage learners and community partners, explored promotional resources, and discovered simple strategies to maximize their local impact.
Tools & Resources
ROI Calculator
Demonstrate the value of adult education in your community. Use the ROI Calculator to estimate the economic return on investment generated by your program and showcase the long-term impact on learners, employers, and local economies (as seen demonstrated at COABE 2026).
Adult Education's Return On Investment
Click {HERE] to download whole report,
or on an image below to download individual pages.
Adult education meets current challenges, stimulates the economy, and connects talent to employers.
Workforce Re-Entry & Economic Contribution
Empowering non-native speakers to navigate, integrate, and achieve professional success.
English Proficiency & Career Pathways
Fulfilling educational milestones, fueling higher education, and boosting local economies.
Adult Literacy & High School Equivalency
Breaking the cycles of poverty, enhancing family connections, and investing in our future.
Intergenerational Mobility & Family Literacy
Help us celebrate Adult Education & Family Literacy Week on social media!
Click on an image to download JPG image
2025 AEFL Week Replay of Virtual Events
Monday
September 15
11:00 AM EST
Kick Off National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week: Celebrate Adult Education’s Power to Transform Lives
Nick Moore will open National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week with remarks highlighting the critical role of adult education in advancing economic mobility, supporting families, and strengthening communities. His address will underscore federal priorities and the importance of continued investment in lifelong learning.
Presenters: Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary, Sharon Bonney, CEO, Shaketta Thomas, Board President
Tuesday
September 16
2:00 PM EST
Moving Mountains: The Power of Partnership in Adult Education
National Vision. Statewide Support. Local Impact.
Behind every successful adult education initiative is a web of strong partnerships. This session highlights how collaboration at the national, state, and local levels is transforming programs, expanding access, and delivering real results for learners. Hear inspiring examples of how aligned efforts—across agencies, associations, and communities—are helping programs overcome barriers, scale innovation, and move mountains together.
Wednesday
September 17
2:00 PM EST
Facebooking with the Fellows: Live from AEFL Week!
Real Talk. Real Impact. Real-Time.
Join us for a high-energy Facebook Live session as COABE Fellows from across the country come together to reflect on the power of adult education during AEFL Week. Hear firsthand stories of transformation, advocacy wins, and how they’re fueling change in their communities. This interactive wrap-up will celebrate the week’s highlights, spotlight learner voices, and leave you inspired to keep the momentum going all year long!
Presenters: Sharon Bonney and 2025 SAAEF Fellows
Thursday
September 18
2:00 PM EST
Voices That Move Us: Spotlight on Advocast, Behind Every Employer, & EmpowerED
Amplifying Stories, Sparking Alignment, and Encouraging Transformation during AEFL Week
Discover how adult learners, educators, and advocates are using their voices to inspire action and awareness through COABE’s original podcasts: Advocast, Behind Every Employer, and EmpowerED. This session will showcase powerful moments, behind-the-scenes insights, and tips on how you can leverage these podcasts to elevate your program, engage your learners, and celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in a big way.
Presenters: Erin Vobornik, Anson Green, Jeff Abramowitz, Sara Haghighi, and Hector Martinez
Friday
September 19
2:00 PM EST
IETs and Workforce Trainings, a Successful Collaboration
This webinar will explore how Brevard Adult and Community Education (BACE) advances workforce success through integrated education and training (IET) programs. Adult learners gain essential career and soft skills. Participants will gain insights into the successes and challenges through up-to-date data. BACE currently offers several pre-apprenticeship programs spanning 16 career pathways with an emphasis on soft skills training focusing on communication, teamwork, and problem-solving for long-term success in the workforce.
Presenters: Lorri Benjamin and Eric Kohler