PAACE News Summer 2004

PAACE looking to the future
by Mary Kay Peterson, La Communidad Hispaña, PAACE President

Another program year is coming to a close and as we work on final reports and look at beginning new programs and continuing others, PAACE is looking forward to the next three years and beyond.

The board has embarked on a new round of strategic planning for the organization that will guide us through to 2007. One long-range plan is to develop a bid to host the 2009 COABE conference. PAACE hosted the COABE conference in 1996 in Pittsburgh and it was a tremendous success thanks to the efforts of Chair Judith Aaronson, then of Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh, and many of the staff of the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council like Karen Mundie, Debbie Hrach, Sue Snider, and others. This new endeavor is being led by KayLynn Hamilton and Chuck Klinger, dedicated professionals sure to make the next PAACE COABE conference, when we win the bid, another huge success.

The current strategic planning process is being led by second vice-president Debbie Hrach and, as we proceed, information will be posted on the website for your review and comment. Please give it a look and let us know what your thoughts are. Remember, PAACE is a membership organization and the board wants to hear from you!

I especially want to hear from you so as you spend a lazy, hazy summer day gazing at clouds floating by, send me your comments, suggestions and, yes, even the rare complaint. OK. If between final reports and new students and all the rest of the stuff that needs to be done you have a moment, let me know how PAACE can be better. Have a great summer!

Where key legislation stands now
by JoAnn Weinberger, Center for Literacy, PAACE Legislative Committee Chair

JoAnn Weinberger Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act

Both the U.S. House and Senate passed a version of the reauthorization bill. The House has named members for the conference committee on reauthorization. There are no members from Pennsylvania. The Senate has yet to name its conferees.

Reauthorization of TANF

The current TANF law has been reauthorized "as is" until September 30, 2004. A continuing resolution to extend the law was passed by both the House and Senate on June 22. Thanks to Legal Momentum and Diane Inverso at the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy for this information.

For more information on the bill, see:
http://thomas.loc.gov (search for TANF)

Reauthorization of Perkins Voc/Tech

In May, the Bush administration unveiled its revised blueprint. It keeps intact the proposal for a “SecTech” block grant but would not allow the transfer of Perkins funds to Title I programs for disadvantaged children, which the administration had included in its February 2003 proposal. The Secondary and Technical Education State Grants (Sec/Tech) block grant would combine Vocational Education Basic State Grants; Tech-Prep Education State Grants; National Programs, Voc Ed; Tech-Prep Education Demonstration; and Occupational and Employment Information Program. The new version would allow CTE Pathway Partnership Grants to be made on a competitive basis or under state-developed, performance-based formulas. It remains questionable as to whether this legislation will move forward this session.

Federal appropriations

Funding for Even Start Family Literacy is in jeopardy. Please write your legislators now and encourage them to support this program. To read the PAACE Legislative Alert on this subject, please go to http://paacesite.org/legislative/index.htm.

State appropriations

As the Pennsylvania House and Senate continue their negotiations, it is important for you to update your legislators on your program’s activities and confirm with them how important the adult basic and literacy education funds are. If you are planning an event for Literacy Month in September, please invite your legislators! Also, once the state budget passes, please write your legislators and say thank-you. Most often, we only contact our legislators when we want something. Let’s remember to let them know on an ongoing basis what we are doing and that we thank them for the appropriation that makes what we do possible.

Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth (TLC)
Adult Learner Conference held in State College
by Kim Carusone, Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth

The 7^th Annual Adult Learner Conference was held March 27-28 at the Hilton Garden Inn in State College, PA. Adult learners and practitioners from around Pennsylvania attended the event, gained new skills, and networked.

Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth’s training coordinator, Amy Wilson, welcomed everyone to the conference and introduced some of the speakers. Jan Wessell provided an overview of how the Bureau of ABLE supports adult education in Pennsylvania. Attendees introduced themselves and the adult education programs they had come from. There were a wide variety of learners, some who had been working with literacy groups in Pennsylvania for over a decade and some whose first experience was the conference.

Workshops covered topics of relevance to adult learners. Juliet Smith presented “Getting a Job” and Kim Carusone led a discussion entitled “Getting Good Healthcare.” Colleen Serencsits taught a group the importance of “Helping Your Children Succeed in School,” and Dr. Richard Cooper led a lively seminar on “Helping Yourself Remember What You Learn.”

After the workshops, the participants enjoyed lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn. Guest speaker Priscilla Carmen from the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy spoke during the luncheon about skills needed for success in the workforce, which is an extremely pertinent topic for adult learners within the current economic climate.

Next, learners grouped up for a team-building activity led by Penny Lang. The activity was to use a variety of crafts and odds and ends to fashion a representation of what adult education and literacy programs meant to the individuals in the groups. The groups came up with a lot of creative ideas, including a rocket (to show that literacy groups can “blast” students towards their dreams) and a robot (with all the parts of a literacy center, including a heart that keeps everyone working together).

Saturday’s conference ended with a two-hour workshop on the use of technology. Attendees visited workstations to learn and practice technology skills such as using a calculator, reading maps, and using a fax machine.

The evening concluded with tour of the Penn State campus, conducted by Kim Carusone. The group walked through the HUB (the student center at PSU), visited Old Main (Penn State’s iconic building), and had a photo-op with the famous Nittany Lion statue. They adjourned to the Penn State Creamery for some of its world-renowned ice cream.

The next day started with a PAVE* workshop entitled “Leadership Skills and Setting and Mapping Your Goals.” Adult learners spoke about their successes in mapping and achieving personal goals. Susquehanna Valley Adult Literacy Program’s student group, LaVonne McKinstry from the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, and Doug Newton from the Bradford-Wyoming County Literacy Council presented during the session.

Finally, Marty Finsterbusch from VALUE** gave a presentation about becoming involved in literacy programs and the communities that they support. He spoke about his own experiences with the Delaware County Literacy Council and implored fellow adult learners to become active in supporting adult education programs.

Overall, the 7^th Annual Adult Learner Conference was a great success. Learners expressed that they had gained new skills, new knowledge, and, most importantly, new friends. Next year’s conference will incorporate new workshops and activities based on suggestions.

Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth wishes to thank everyone whose hard work and dedication made the conference possible. Thank-you to the learners and practitioners who came - with boundless enthusiasm - to share their skills and experiences. And, thank-you to the Bureau of ABLE and the TLC board of directors for their support. We hope to see you again!

Incoming TLC board members

Chairman: Sue Snider, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council

First Vice-Chairman: Lee Stork, Penn State Adult Literacy Action

Second Vice-Chairman: Joanne Olejkowski, York County Literacy Council

Treasurer: Barb Noel, Franklin County Literacy Council

Secretary: Peggy Stroupe, Literacy Council of Venango County

Past Chairman: Mary Hohensee, Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon

For more information on TLC, phone 814-867-0203 or e-mail users.penn.com/~literacy.

*Pennsylvania’s Voice in Adult Education
** Voice for Adult Literacy United for Education

Continuing Higher Education (CHE)
DCCC teams with Drexel to offer engineering degree

Preparing for a rewarding career in applied engineering is now more convenient, accessible, and affordable, thanks to a unique agreement between Delaware County Community College (DCCC) and Drexel University, Philadelphia.

The agreement establishes the Dual Enrollment Program in Applied Engineering Technology. Students in the program will be enrolled at both Drexel and DCCC, working concurrently on both their bachelor of science degree (B.S) in Applied Engineering Technology from Drexel and their associate in applied science degree (AAS) in Automated Manufacturing/Robotics, Machine Tool Technology, or Mechanical Technology from DCCC.

As an added benefit, students can earn certifications recognized by industry and required by employers for immediate entry into the workforce. DCCC currently offers four certificates of competency and one certificate of proficiency in advanced manufacturing. Each certificate program can be completed in six months to one year. Students can automatically apply credits earned for a certificate to their AAS and, subsequently, to their BS degrees.

Students will complete all classes at the new state-of-the-art technology facility at DCCC's Malin Road Center in Broomall, PA.

“This program is a win-win situation for students, for our two colleges, and for our region,” said DCCC President Dr. Jerry Parker. “Students receive a quality education from the Greater Philadelphia region's leading institutions in technology education. They also pay the lowest possible tuition for technology education—saving thousands of dollars over what they would normally pay for a four-year degree from Drexel. The cost savings our two institutions realize from this collaboration are directly passed on to our students.”

Parker added that the program should help address the chronic shortage of highly skilled technicians in the manufacturing sector, a situation restricting economic growth in the region and across the state. The situation is creating excellent career opportunities for skilled machinists, CNC programmers, and toolmakers, who can apply technology in the workplace. Entry- and mid-level salaries are attractive and opportunities for advancement to supervisory, managerial, and manufacturing engineering positions are increasing.

For information about the Dual Enrollment Program in Applied Engineering Technology, contact the Drexel/DCCC Connection, voice phone 610-359-5063 or e-mail wyakabos@dccc.edu.

At the PAACE board meeting during the Midwinter Conference the point was raised that any number of PAACE members who hold teaching certificates must meet Act 48 requirements during the coming year and may not have not had opportunities to do so. (Please check the article, “The Act 48 clock is ticking,” by Chuck Klinger, ABSE Division Director, in the Spring 2004 issue of PAACE News.) The faculty in Adult and Community Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) has discussed this concern with the Dean of the College of Education and Educational Technology and may be in a position to help.

Current, tenured faculty can offer one or two of our current courses, or devise new ones, that we could deliver partially, or completely, via distance education. These would be 3-credit, graduate-level courses. Taking them would require application to the School of Graduate Studies and Research at IUP; however, there is an expedited process for persons wanting just to take courses to satisfy Act 48 requirements and not seeking admission to our program. Cost (tuition and fees) for a 3-credit course taken via distance education during the 2003-2004 school year was $1,033.60; the figure could change for the coming year.

In order to determine whether we should proceed with such an endeavor, we need feedback from the members of PAACE, either directly to the undersigned or through your Division Director or Regional Representative.

Trenton R. Ferro, M.Div., M.S.T., M.A., Ed.D., Professor, Graduate Coordinator, & Chair
Department of Adult & Community Education
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
104 Davis Hall, 570 S. 11th Street
Indiana, PA 15705
(724) 357-2470 (Office)
(724) 357-7821 (Fax)
trferro@iup.edu
www.coe.iup.edu/ace

Carol Shefrin, of the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit Adult Education Department, was recently elected to the newly created position of COABE Vice-President.

The Board of the Commission on Adult Basic Education amended its by-laws to create this new position. The primary role of the Vice-President is in membership and recruitment services. The Vice-President will serve as chair of the Membership Committee and coordinate member services with the COABE office and Board members. The Vice-President will also take a lead role in working with the affiliate organizations. COABE recognizes the importance of maintaining regular two-way contact with adult educators throughout the country. The creation of the Vice-President position reflects the increased emphasis COABE places on services to the leadership of state and regional adult education associations while maintaining services to the individual and group members. In this way, COABE reaches beyond their membership and assists the field as a whole.

Carol Shefrin has served on the COABE Board as the Region 2 Representative and as Membership Chair for the last five years. She also was instrumental in bringing the COABE Conference to Pittsburgh in 1996 and worked on that conference committee. She has been the president and longtime board member of PAACE and was named Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Adult Educator in 1997. Carol has just celebrated her 20th anniversary working in adult education in direct service and professional development. She currently directs several state leadership projects in Pennsylvania including the Statewide Family Literacy Professional Development Project and the PA Distance Learning Project. Carol welcomes the opportunity to serve COABE in this new role.

Judith L. Cope, Ph.D., a past president and life member of PAACE, was killed in an automobile accident on May 1, 2004. Judy, as she was known, lived in South Pasadena, California. She lived in Indiana, PA during her active years in adult education in this state. From 1987 until her death, she was a professor at the California State University in Los Angeles, specializing in brain research applied to the learning environment. For eight years, she was coordinator of the university’s Adult Education Credential Program. She was nationally recognized as an outstanding adult educator. She chaired the 1983 AAACE Conference in Philadelphia.

Judy earned her doctorate in curriculum and supervision at the University of Pittsburgh in 1981. She was the fourth recipient of the PAACE Outstanding Adult Educator award.

Longtime PAACE members remember Judy as a bright, loquacious, energetic, and very cheerful person who was always deeply involved in the organization and all of her work in adult education.

She is survived by three sons, two daughters-in-law, a brother, and four grandchildren. There will be a memorial service at the Laguna Beach Hotel in Laguna Beach on August 21. All are invited to remember her.

Dr. Gordon Clay Godbey, of Muncy, formerly of State College, passed away Friday, June 18, 2004, from complications of long-term heart problems. He was 86.

Dr. Godbey received his undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Kentucky and his doctorate of education from Harvard University. He was a college professor and assistant dean at Penn State. Dr. Godbey taught at the University of Delaware where he was the head of continuing education for the state of Delaware. He also taught as the University of Maine, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Godbey was the founder and first president of the Pennsylvania Adult Education Association, one of the organizations that merged to become PAACE in 1979. He was a columnist for the Muncy Luminary and had served on the Muncy Community Action Program. He assisted in establishing the distance learning program for Australia and the adult education program for new arrivals in Israel. He was a poet and amateur actor. Many PAACE members fondly remember Dr. Godbey’s great humor and intelligence in countless settings.

In addition to his wife, Sarah, with whom he celebrated a 63rd wedding anniversary last year, he is survived by one daughter, three sons, one son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. His son, Dr. Galen Godbey, was the keynote speaker at the 2004 PAACE Midwinter Conference.

Do you have that article almost completed but just haven't gotten around to completing it? Have you carried out some research project but just haven't gotten around to putting the results on paper? Well, now's your chance. Manuscripts are still being accepted through the end of the summer for possible publication (after peer review and recommendation) in Volume 14 (2005) of the PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning.

In a cost-cutting measure, the PAACE board voted to eliminate postcards announcing the release of the organization's quarterly online newsletter, PAACE News. Members will continue to be notified via the members' e-mail list. Members who have been requesting hard copies from their regional reps may continue to do so.

If you have Internet access and the capability to print, please do not request a hard copy.

For those who like to print out PAACE News, you now have the option of printing directly from your browser or downloading a PDF file of each issue.

Whatever your interest in adult education may be, the LINCS conference calendar has something for you--actually, LOTS of things for you. Check out this thorough list of conferences and events related to adult education, technology, and affiliated topics at: www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi

If you are a PAACE member and are not subscribed to the members e-mail list, you may use the simple sign-up process by going to www.paacesite.org, clicking on the link on the main page for the PAACE lists, and following the link for the members@paacesite.org list. Subscribers also may follow the link to change subscription information. Currently, Technology Committee chair Scot Mentzer is moderating the list but is still looking for assistance. List moderation is aimed at eliminating spam e-mail. Only subscribers may post to the list.

PAACE members are encouraged to be on the e-mail list in order to receive announcements and late-breaking legislative news.

PAACE has an e-mail address. Write to paace@paacesite.org for general inquiries and information. Joan Leopold, PAACE executive director, will answer your questions or direct your e-mail to the appropriate person.

Our 2004-05 Officers, Regional Representatives, and Division Directors:

President: Mary Kay Peterson (La Communidad Hispana)

First Vice-President: Robert McNeill (Delaware Valley College)

Second Vice-President: Debbie Hrach (Stairways Behavioral Health)

Secretary: Karen E. Warner (Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12)

Treasurer: Frank Nardone (Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18)

Immediate Past President: David Manzo (Luzerne County Community College)

Remote Past President: Linda Herr (Lycoming County Library System)

Western Regional Representative: Emmett Baxendell (Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh)

Central Regional Representative: Cathy Forsythe (Mifflin Co. Library Literacy Program)

Eastern Regional Representative: Joe Morales (Lancaster-Lebanon Intermdiate 13)

Adult Basic and Secondary Education Division Director: Chuck Klinger (Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 Adult Education Dept.)

Continuing Higher Education Division Director: Mary Anne Varacalli (Delaware County Community College)

Corrections Education Division Director: Rob Bender (Graterford SCI)

ESL Division: Eastern Co-Director: Elaine Greene (Center for Literacy), Western Co-Director: Theresa Andrews (Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council)

Family Literacy Division: Ruth Love-Schooley (Lycoming County Literacy Project), Susan Mansuetti (Penn State Beaver Adult Literacy Action)

Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth: Amy Wilson (Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth)

Workplace Education Division: Laura Beach (Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at Penn State)

Committee Chairs: See www.paacesite.org/committees.htm for full list and contact information. The complete PAACE board is listed at www.paacesite.org/paacereps.htm.

PAACE News Editorial Board

Tana Reiff, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 / PAACE News Editor
Joan Leopold, Harrisburg State Hospital / PAACE Executive Director
Mary Kay Peterson, La Comunidad Hispaña / PAACE President
Karen Mundie, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
Ruth Love-Schooley, Lycoming County Literacy Project
Carol Shefrin, Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 Adult Education Dept.
Mary Anne Varacalli, Delaware County Community College
Amy Wilson, Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth

The purpose of PAACE News is to inform members of PAACE about the activities and plans of the Association and how they can participate in them. Remaining consistent with the mission of the organization, the newsletter connects a diverse audience of adult education practitioners, researchers, and students throughout Pennsylvania.

This issue published June 28, 2004

To submit material for PAACE News, please e-mail the editor at tana_reiff@comcast.net.

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