NCL members, Every year NCL provides a summary of the President’s budget request for adult education as our contribution to a “budget book” that CEF puts out in early the spring, ahead of the appropriations process. Once again, we need your help. For the last few years, the editors have tried to lead each section with a 'vignette' — something that shows the impact of the program in question in human terms and sort of brings it to life. So we need a 3-4 sentence story that captures the impact that WIOA Title II has on individuals/families. Please let me know if you can write up a short story for our opening vignette this year. As an example, here’s the vignette we used two years ago: In central Pennsylvania adults with limited literacy sills and/or those who lack a high school diploma have few options. Some seize on the opportunity to attend free classes to improve their skills before transitioning to additional education and the workforce. Family literacy classes helped Donna prepare her child for school but also helped her improve her basic skills and earn a Child Development Associate certificate, allowing her to advance from a substitute to a fulltime Head Start program aide. A Career Pathways Program helped Jonathan pass the GED test, enter a Compression Technology Certificate Program, and obtain a position in the natural gas industry. Without our adult education programs funded through Title II of WIA, these adults and many others would be without educational options or hope of finding or advancing in employment. I’d like to send our vignette to the editors by Wednesday of next week (January 28th). Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions. Jeff -- Jeff Carter Director, Adult Education Initiatives Digital Promise | jeff@digitalpromise.org http://www.digitalpromise.org/initiatives/adult-learning -- President, National Coalition for Literacy (2014-2015) -- jcarter@literacypolicy.org or jeffcrtr@gmail.org Personal Twitter: @jeffcrtr | literacypolicy.org (202) 374-4387