COABE Highlights 2023 State Advocates for Adult Education Fellows

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), the leading professional association for adult education, announced the third cohort of the State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship (SAAEF). This competitive fellowship is supported in part through generous contributions by Essential Education. The fellowship is comprised of selected activists and leaders who champion the cause of adult education programs funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The fellowship continues the work of previous cohorts in building a robust network of leaders and advocates with the aim of advancing visibility and funding for the field of adult education.

The COABE State Advocacy Fellowship is a year-long program composed of a series of federal- and state-related training sessions focused on building advocacy and leadership skills to create lasting change. Once admitted to this prestigious fellowship, fellows engage in hands-on activities at the national, regional, state, and local levels, including participating in policy discussions and specialized training that will aid them in joining a growing number of peers dedicated to building advocacy nationwide. "This program has proven to be incredibly successful in increasing funding and visibility at the state and local levels," said Sharon Bonney, Chief Executive Officer for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education. Bonney cited the "Collective Impact Report" recently published by COABE, noting the outstanding accomplishments of the fellowship.

"I am thrilled for the 2023 SAAEF fellows as they continue the impactful work of learning how to become better advocates and better leaders for adult education across the country with the ultimate goal of providing the best adult education systems for our students. We are mindful that legislators do not make policy, the stories of our students and our teachers do," says Jeffrey Abramowitz, Chair of the SAAEF Fellowship Program.

For more information about the SAAEF program and to view the fellows, visit https://coabe.org/legislative-center/state-advocates-for-adult-education-fellowship/.

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About COABE

COABE's mission is to inspire educators so adults succeed and communities thrive. The Coalition on Adult Basic Education exists to provide leadership, communication, professional development and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitioners to advance quality services for millions of adult learners nationwide. COABE represents the field of 79,000 adult educators and provides a variety of services, including professional development, through annual, state-of-the-art national conferences, more than 50 webinars annually and a peer-reviewed journal. Learn more at COABE.org.

Source: COABE