The U.S. Conference on Adult Literacy Kicks Off in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 01, 2013 -- Adult literacy advocates and supporters from around the nation have gathered together in the nation's capital from October 31-November 2, 2013, to take part in the U.S. Conference on Adult Literacy. With attendees from every state, fueled by the recent report from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC; http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac/), which states that 1 in 6 American adults function with low literacy skills, this is one of the largest gatherings of the adult literacy field this year.
USCAL opens with a visit to Capitol Hill to speak with elected officials about key issues related to adult literacy and basic education, including immigration, health, finance, technology, and public education. More than 110 constituent appointments have been made.
In addition to two days of more than 120 workshops focused on advocacy, adult learner leadership, social justice, technology, global literacy, immigration, and professional development, and featured sessions on the new GED/HSE tests as well as public policy related to adult literacy, attendees will also be treated to keynote addresses from Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch, co-chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and Joe Theismann, entrepreneur and former star quarterback of the Washington Redskins.
USCAL will also feature a closing session on PIAAC, featuring a representative from the U.S. Department of Education.
"The 2013 USCAL gathering in Washington, D.C. is so timely, as it comes on the heels of the release of new data that shows the United States lagging behind other countries in adult literacy," says Kevin Morgan, president and CEO of ProLiteracy. "ProLiteracy has been focused on improving adult literacy for more than half a century and we are proud to come together with so many like-minded organizations and people to really advance the cause of adult literacy."
Sponsors of USCAL include Dollar General, Southwest Airlines, the GED Testing Service, Kaplan, and Senior Service America.
For more information about USCAL, follow #USCAL and @ProLitWorld on Twitter, or visit the USCAL website.
Amy Schmitz, ProLiteracy, http://www.proliteracy.org, 315-214-2580, [email protected]
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