A show all about advocating for Adult Education
In this episode, we talk to Debra Tavaras of Atlanta Public School Adult Education and COABE’s 2023 SAAEF fellow for Georgia about how to persevere through the challenges of advocacy. She discusses an event that she created and her hopes for the future of advocacy in Georgia. We are also joined by former adult learner Gaelle Petit Homme who discusses what adult education has meant to her and how she found the courage to share her story.
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The Adult Ed Advocast is adult education’s first podcast devoted to helping you become a stronger advocate for our field. In each episode, experts and experienced advocates will tackle a specific topic. You’ll hear about advocacy in various forms: social media outreach, forging partnerships, meeting with legislators, and much more! Develop your advocacy skills and become a champion for adult education.
Current Episode
Sara Haghighi – Pima Community College, AZ
Sara Haghighi is a passionate educator who believes in empowering students and raising their critical consciousness about social conditions—both their own and those of others. She scaffolds and encourages her students to read and judge whether the content is substantiated. Her experience as a former refugee and her passion for education have influenced her thinking and interest in social justice for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Sara holds a master’s in TESOL from California State University, Fullerton. She has taught English in a variety of educational levels and settings. She is currently serving as the coordinator of the Refugee Education Program at Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ.
Erin Vobornik– Elgin Community College, IL
Erin Vobornik is an adult educator at Elgin Community College in northern Illinois. She earned her master’s degree in linguistics from Northern Illinois University. She has worked in administrative and faculty positions in various adult education programs. In 2015, Erin encouraged students to participate in letter-writing campaigns to state officials to release funding for Title II WIOA programs. In 2019, she assisted ESL students in proposing a college-wide Census 2020 information campaign which was accepted and supported by Elgin Community College’s executive leadership. Currently, she is working to infuse advocacy skills at all levels of her ESL classes. In addition to working with students, Erin regularly reaches out to local and state stakeholders to advocate for increased funding and visibility for adult education programs.
Behind Every Employer Podcast
In this episode, Adam Leonard, a self-described data evangelist and chief analytics officer at the Texas Workforce Commission, sits down with us to discuss generative AI’s potential to transform the career prospects of job seekers and students. As AI dramatically changes jobs in unpredictable ways, it is critical to have a mechanism to track and respond to these changes. But while AI is a catalyst for change, it is also a key piece of developing that model. AI can deliver near-time feedback on the skills employers are seeking, thus providing immediate direction to students and job seekers on what they need to study. Additionally, generative AI can automate common tasks on the job that are typically learned through experience or trapped in tribal knowledge, thus closing the knowledge gap for new workers more quickly. Because generative AI can automate mundane work, workers’ capacity can be freed up for more rewarding and creative tasks.
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These employers with their partners are challenging the status quo of education and training and delivering scalable solutions. Discussions cross the intersections of adult education, digital resiliency, training innovations, immigration law, and other topics.
Anson Green – Co-host
Anson Green is a member of the Behind Every Employer advisory committee and workforce development trailblazer leading economic opportunity efforts at Tyson Foods. There he is developing career pathways and digital resiliency for Tyson’s 121,000 front-line team members. Prior to Tyson, Anson was Adult Education State Director in Texas. In 2020, he was the Coalition on Adult Basic Education Outstanding Administrator of the Year. While at the Alamo Colleges District, Anson directed a specialized training center in San Antonio’s historic Westside empowerment zone delivering bilingual and integrated education and training solutions to the local community.
Jeffrey Abramowitz, Co-host/Executive Producer
Jeffrey Abramowitz, J.D. is the Chief Executive Officer of the Petey Greene Program and past Executive Director of Justice Partnerships and Executive Director Reentry Services for JEVS Human Services and the founder and Program Director of Looking Forward Philadelphia Reentry Program. Jeff previously served on the Executive Board of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education, COABE, where he served as Secretary, and currently co-chairs the State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship Program. Jeff was appointed to the Pennsylvania Reentry Council and serves as Chairman of the Employment Committee and Co-chairs the Reentry Committee for the PA Workforce Development Board and serves as the Chair of the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition.
Jeff is a subject matter expert for the US Department of Education, is the Moderator for US Department of Education LINCS Community of Practice on Correctional & Reentry Education and works on the IET in Corrections project for OCTAE. Jeff sits on several organizational boards and centers his work in the intersection of adult education, workforce development, and justice.
Jeff is the producer and host of the award-winning weekly radio/television show “Looking Forward” on Philly Cam Radio WPPM 106.5FM and PhillyCam TV (Live Streaming; Xfinity 66/966; Fios TV 29/30; Roku; Apple TV).