National AEFL Week
National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week raises public awareness about the need for and value of adult education and family literacy. Its goal is to increase financial and societal support for access to foundational education programs for U.S. adults with low literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. Advocates across the country use this opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy nationwide with policymakers, the media, and the community.
AEFL Week Dates and Activities
In 2024, Adult Education and Family Literacy Week will be observed from September 15 to September 21. NCL’s AEFL Week activities will focus on raising awareness of the pivotal role of adult education in enabling equitable access to societal resources, employment opportunity, and full participation in community life. NCL will also use the AEFL Week context to provide guidance and resources for teachers who wish to incorporate media awareness, critical thinking, and civics education in their teaching in the context of the November 2024 election.
NCL is currently working with Senate and House of Representatives staff to have resolutions recognizing Adult Education and Family Literacy Week passed in Congress in September 2024.
Ways to Get Involved
- Follow NCL on LinkedIn and Facebook for AEFL Week news and updates.
- Use the #AEFLWeek hashtag in your social media, on your website, and in your print communications.
- Download and share NCL’s latest Adult Education Fact Sheet.
- Check out adult learners’ stories and share them with your learners. Invite your learners to create and share stories of their own successes using digital storytelling.
- Find state information sheets for your state on the NASDAE website, and data on literacy and numeracy skills of residents of your county on the PIAAC Skills Map. Share that information as part of your advocacy messaging.
- Read about exemplary programs and use them to support your ideas for developing your own programs and services.
- Explore toolkits and other resources from NCL member organizations for planning advocacy around National AEFL Week.
Options for Community Events and Activities
- Partner with your local library or community center to host a family read-aloud, where each family chooses a favorite story and family members share the task of reading it aloud to others.
- Invite representatives from local employers to visit your program to hear from your adult learners about their ideas for work-related skills development. Follow that up with a visit to the employer’s facility, where your learners can evaluate how their ideas could be implemented.
- Invite your local, state, and federal policymakers to visit your program and meet your adult learners. Senators and Representatives will be in their home states/districts from August 5 through September 6 and from September 30 through November 8. Find contact information for your Representative here, and contact information for your Senators here.
Background
National AEFL Week originated in 2009 when the National Coalition for Literacy worked with then-Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), then-Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) to create a Congressionally-recognized designation that would draw attention to the importance of adult education and family literacy. Since then, NCL has sponsored National AEFL Week in September each year on behalf of its members and the field as a whole, and has worked with Members of Congress to have the week recognized through resolutions in the Senate and the House of Representatives.