Happy September, all! Adult Education and Family Literacy Week is coming up September 22-28. We are working with staff on Capitol Hill to have the week recognized in the Congressional record again this year. As you plan your AEFL Week activities, be sure to check out the https://national-coalition-literacy.org/adult-education-and-family-literacy-week/ on the NCL website. You may also want to join NCL in its special focus on Census 2020 during that week. See our https://national-coalition-literacy.org/research/the-2020-census/census-2020-resource-links/ for ideas and information. The fall members meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 17, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The agenda covers a lot of ground: - Election of board members - Updates on webinars, conference presentation, and other activities related to NCL's 2019-2020 focus on the 2020 Census - An OCTAE update from Chris Coro - Updates on research projects related to adult education, including the IES/OCTAE national evaluation of adult ed programs and the Open Door Collective's E-BAES work - Discussion of the current federal policy and budget situation relating to adult ed, immigration, and the social safety net I hope to see many of you there or to hear your voices on the phone. I'll send out a final agenda at the end of next week. More on the Census: Finally, be sure to read our latest https://national-coalition-literacy.org/ncl-blog/, which outlines the importance of the Census for adult learners and the field of adult education. Now is the time to contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to provide a robust budget that will enable the Census Bureau to conduct a full, fair, and accurate count. With best wishes for the new program year, Deborah Deborah Kennedy Senior Consultant / Owner, Key Words President, National Coalition for Literacy http://www.key-words.us http://www.national-coalition-literacy.org