Literacy Action Network

08/24/2026

Check out this Code Switch podcast episode, Trump is Demanding English - while defunding ESL.

It covers the administration's Executive Order making English the "official language" of the United States, efforts to zero out WIOA Title II funding, and the real-life human impact of ESL classes. It makes some really important points about the crucial role of adult education and the threats facing adult learners and adult ed providers from federal policies.

The episode also features great interviews with several adult learners from Lincoln Literacy in Nebraska.

Last year President Trump made English the official language of the United States. Then his administration moved to zero out the federal money that teaches it. But even fully funded, those programs reached fewer than five-percent of the 25 million adults in this country still learning English. Code....

08/20/2026

Practitioner Spotlight of the Month!

Diane Penttila – Not Your Average GED Proctor

From the moment a GED tester walks through the door, she makes it clear that they are not just another test-taker. They are someone worth believing in. As both a dedicated GED instructor and test proctor, Diane has created a testing center that feels less like an intimidating exam room and more like a place of possibility and encouragement. Her warmth and welcoming spirit put even the most anxious testers at ease, and her well-timed humor has a way of cutting through nerves and reminding students that they are more capable than their fears tell them. Her investment in the students doesn’t end when the test is over. She walks alongside them into what comes next by providing them resources, whether that means further education, a new career, or simply the confidence that comes with earning a GED.

Beyond the testing center, she wears many hats for WEST ABE, showing up wherever she is needed with the same level of dedication and enthusiasm. She is a steady and reliable presence when it comes to supporting testing in the classrooms. As an instructor, she goes above and beyond what her role requires, adding courses and tracking down materials, collaborating, and connecting with her colleagues to ensure that every student has exactly what they need to succeed. Diane is the kind of educator who understands that a credential is not just a piece of paper, but a turning point in someone’s life. We are incredibly fortunate to have her on our team!

08/18/2026

A final congratulation to our Outstanding Learners of 2026!

- Abebech Imam Abegaz, IIMN
- Halima Ainte, Minneapolis ABE
- Mohamed Abdullahi Omar, AOIE
- Veronica Seegmiller, NW Service Cooperative

Student scholarships are sponsored by Literacy Minnesota through the generosity of the Lucille Fischer and Thomas Kraemer scholarship funds.

08/14/2026

Congratulations to Ruth Rodriquez, the recipient of the 2026 Todd Wagner Award!

Ruth has been involved with ABE, mostly working at St. Paul Public Schools, for nearly 35 years. During this time, she has recruited, trained and placed more than 1,350 volunteers (according to Hubbs’ SID database), who have contributed a whopping 151,379 hours to the program. This equates to more than 72 people working full-time for a year – or one person working full-time for 72 years! Most importantly, Ruth’s work has resulted in tens of thousands of students receiving extra instruction, attention and support.

While Ruth has served two main roles at Hubbs Center – Volunteer Coordinator and Student Advisor – she has never limited her work to these job titles. Rather, Ruth has always been ready to serve learners and the ABE field in whatever way needed. Whether organizing a job fair, coordinating the Hubbs Scholarship Fund, assisting with new student orientation, creating a student newsletter, piloting a new SID report for SPARC, mentoring a work study student, or discussing statewide volunteer issues with LAN, Ruth is ready to do the work. She is efficient, humble, and sometimes wickedly funny. She is always ready and willing to serve learners, and she is the first to draw attention to the successes of others. Ruth has successfully nominated countless volunteers for statewide recognition in the form of service hour awards and Outstanding Volunteer awards through the years, and has always shown up, usually outside of her normal work hours, to honor Hubbs’ volunteer award winners at recognition events.

Ruth is fluent in Spanish and is a certified Spanish-English interpreter, and these skills are a huge asset to the entire school. Sometimes Spanish-speaking students will walk up to the front desk and just say: “Ruth.” They know that she will not only ensure that whatever they need is communicated accurately and completely to other staff or partners, but also that they will be fully heard and understood, which of course is also a testament to Ruth’s caring and patient personality.

08/14/2026

You have have heard about this project if you attended Teaching for Justice: Building Knowledge, Voice, and Agency at this year's Summer Institute!

If you want to take part, submit stories or videos to [email protected]

is excited to announce a call for submissions to a collection of stories about resistance and community.

Use the Symbols of Resistance lesson plans (available at the Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced/GED levels) to support learners in sharing their stories about resistance; community members supporting one another; and/or their experience during the occupation. https://atlasabe.org/resources/social-studies/teaching-for-justice/lessons/

Anyone in the Minnesota ABE community is welcome to submit their story to the collection housed by ATLAS both in a print edition and digitally on the MN ABE Professional Development website and youtube page. Submissions can be written, artwork, or video, in English or other languages.

Submit stories or videos to [email protected] by November 1, 2026.

08/13/2026

Good morning! As a small thank-you for all we do for our students, one of our presenters, Kelli Abar from UW-Superior is giving away classroom supply goodie boxes! 🎁

Please fill out the form below or use the QR code below if you’d like more information about UW–Superior’s online programs or simply want to enter the classroom supply giveaway.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Vegghyh-_0mhp41eZrVlnjHYUa2HFAJInbrP_MgHH3hUN0hMN1BIUkdPN040R0pBRVJZWFkwWExHSiQlQCNjPTEu

"It was a pleasure attending the conference today and connecting with so many dedicated educators. I represent UW–Superior’s 100% online programs, and I’m excited to be a resource for you as you explore opportunities to further your education.

Whether you’re interested in going back to school, exploring loan forgiveness options, or learning more about grants and scholarship opportunities, I’d be happy to help connect you with information and resources." -- Kelli Abar

08/12/2026

Thanks to everyone who attended our first day of SI26 🎉

We're looking forward to having another great day with you tomorrow!

08/10/2026

Congratulations to Halima, one of this year's Outstanding Learners!

Halima is a fierce advocate for literacy and education .adulted and
the Minneapolis community. What makes Halima remarkable is her devotion to life long learning and her advocacy for others seeking for the opportunity to advance themselves through education. Halima's catchphrase is "Education is the Key. "

Halima utilized the adult diploma study lab while on the final end of her Adult Diploma completion. While working in the lab, she was always encouraging her fellow classmates with inspirational stories and simply her grit and presence everyday as which inspired other students to persist and continue on the path of their educational goals. Additionally, Halima's phone would frequently ring with calls from community members seeking her guidance and support.

Halima wears numerous hats as a known volunteer community advocate in the Cedar Riverside community. This includes her work with Pillsbury United
Communities. She is affectionally known on the streets as Mama Halima. She lovingly brings people food and clothes and resources for who reside under the Franklin Ave overpass while on her way to school. While serving as a volunteer and
studying, she also she holds a physically demanding job as a dishwasher at the University of Minnesota- Fairview Hospital.

Halima's story of completing her High School diploma and persevering through civil war, refugee resettlement, and most recently operation metro surge is a testimony of her perseverance and grit. She has inspired countess number of students through sharing her story to prioritize their own education and continue on through the completion of their program.

08/08/2026

Congratulations to Veronica, one of this year's Outstanding Learners!

Veronica reached out to Bemidji Adult Education and in January of 2019, seeking to finish her GED. Attending school was difficult in many ways. It required Veronica to make a 40-mile round trip from her home in Tenstrike to the classroom in Bemidji and line up weekly childcare for four small children and transportation, but she persisted. When she learned of online synchronous classes and distance learning platforms that she could work on from home while watching her children, she jumped at the opportunity, and, over the next seven years, she enrolled in 50 separate ABE classes that were offered, from on-site to online and distance learning classes, allowing her increased access and the flexibility to work from home while caring for her children.

Throughout her time of enrollment, she maintained close contact with all instructors and her program advisor and persisted in her course of study, slowly but steadily, a testament to both her perseverance and her willingness to use innovative means to participate in classes wherever possible. Veronica has logged well over 650 contact and proxy contact hours working toward her goal!

Veronica passed her GED Social Studies test in March of 2025, and her Science GED test in April of 2025, but chose to pivot to the Adult Diploma option for the other subjects, and in April of 2026 she completed and passed all four domains of the Employability and Career Skills section. During this time of submission and preparation, she worked with her ABE instructor to complete the required competencies for the English Language Arts and Mathematics sections, both of which were submitted for review on May 12, 2026!

Veronica’s primary mission is to set a positive example for her children to demonstrate the importance of staying in school and finishing their education. She wants them to understand that education opens the doors to stable employment and greater opportunities. When she completes her Adult Diploma, she hopes to secure gainful employment and a better life for her family.