Monday
September 15
11:00 AM EST
Kick Off National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week: Celebrate Adult Education’s Power to Transform Lives
Nick Moore will open National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week with remarks highlighting the critical role of adult education in advancing economic mobility, supporting families, and strengthening communities. His address will underscore federal priorities and the importance of continued investment in lifelong learning.
Presenters: Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary, Sharon Bonney, CEO, Shaketta Thomas, Board President
2025 AEFL Week Replay of Virtual Events
Tools & Resources
ROI Calculator
Demonstrate the value of adult education in your community. Use the ROI Calculator to estimate the economic return on investment generated by your program and showcase the long-term impact on learners, employers, and local economies (as seen demonstrated at COABE 2026).
AEFL Week Schedule of Events
Monday
August 28
2:00 PM EST
Ready, Set, Celebrate! Preparing for Adult Education & Family Literacy Week. Everything you need to plan, promote, and celebrate AEFL Week in your community.
To kick off the celebration, join us on Monday, August 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET for our prep webinar entitled, "Ready, Set, Celebrate! Preparing for Adult Education & Family Literacy Week" During this interactive webinar, you'll receive an overview of this year's campaign, learn creative ways to engage learners and community partners, explore promotional resources, and discover simple strategies to maximize your local impact.
Daily
9:00 AM EST
Rise N' Shine Podcast with Jeff Abramowitz
During National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, the Rise N Shine Podcast brings together national, state, and local leaders who are driving change in adult education. Each episode highlights inspiring stories, innovative strategies, and impactful policy efforts that advance literacy, workforce development, and lifelong learning opportunities for adults across the country. Tune in to hear how communities are coming together to elevate adult learners and strengthen economic mobility through education.
Adult Education's Return On Investment
Click on an image to download PDF
Adult education meets current challenges, stimulates the economy, and connects talent to employers.
Workforce Re-Entry & Economic Contribution
Empowering non-native speakers to navigate, integrate, and achieve professional success.
English Proficiency & Career Pathways
Fulfilling educational milestones, fueling higher education, and boosting local economies.
Adult Literacy & High School Equivalency
Breaking the cycles of poverty, enhancing family connections, and investing in our future.
Intergenerational Mobility & Family Literacy
Stories & Innovation
Click below to submit an adult learner success story, or implemented something innovating that helped your program and your learners.
Help us celebrate Adult Education & Family Literacy Week on social media!
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AEFL Week
This year, COABE continues our decade of work leading a nationwide celebration by being both on the Hill and also providing members with ready-to-use resources, social media graphics, daily themes, promotional materials, webinar opportunities, and inspiring student success stories to help programs engage their communities and showcase the transformative power of adult education.
Tuesday
September 16
2:00 PM EST
Moving Mountains: The Power of Partnership in Adult Education
National Vision. Statewide Support. Local Impact.
Behind every successful adult education initiative is a web of strong partnerships. This session highlights how collaboration at the national, state, and local levels is transforming programs, expanding access, and delivering real results for learners. Hear inspiring examples of how aligned efforts—across agencies, associations, and communities—are helping programs overcome barriers, scale innovation, and move mountains together.
Wednesday
September 17
2:00 PM EST
Facebooking with the Fellows: Live from AEFL Week!
Real Talk. Real Impact. Real-Time.
Join us for a high-energy Facebook Live session as COABE Fellows from across the country come together to reflect on the power of adult education during AEFL Week. Hear firsthand stories of transformation, advocacy wins, and how they’re fueling change in their communities. This interactive wrap-up will celebrate the week’s highlights, spotlight learner voices, and leave you inspired to keep the momentum going all year long!
Presenters: Sharon Bonney and 2025 SAAEF Fellows
Thursday
September 18
2:00 PM EST
Voices That Move Us: Spotlight on Advocast, Behind Every Employer, & EmpowerED
Amplifying Stories, Sparking Alignment, and Encouraging Transformation during AEFL Week
Discover how adult learners, educators, and advocates are using their voices to inspire action and awareness through COABE’s original podcasts: Advocast, Behind Every Employer, and EmpowerED. This session will showcase powerful moments, behind-the-scenes insights, and tips on how you can leverage these podcasts to elevate your program, engage your learners, and celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in a big way.
Presenters: Erin Vobornik, Anson Green, Jeff Abramowitz, Sara Haghighi, and Hector Martinez
Friday
September 19
2:00 PM EST
IETs and Workforce Trainings, a Successful Collaboration
This webinar will explore how Brevard Adult and Community Education (BACE) advances workforce success through integrated education and training (IET) programs. Adult learners gain essential career and soft skills. Participants will gain insights into the successes and challenges through up-to-date data. BACE currently offers several pre-apprenticeship programs spanning 16 career pathways with an emphasis on soft skills training focusing on communication, teamwork, and problem-solving for long-term success in the workforce.
Presenters: Lorri Benjamin and Eric Kohler