Welcome to MCAEL Home page

MCAEL publishes, in print and online, a directory of ESOL classes in Montgomery County. MCAEL staff are currently in the process of contacting organizations in order to update information. If you have a program or know of a program that offers English classes in the County, please click here to download the form, fill it out and send it to connect@mcael.org as soon as possible. (posted July 2010)

Volunteer Program for English Proficiency (VPEP) at NIH Receives Prestigious Directors Award

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Volunteer Program for English Proficiency (VPEP)Program received the agency’s highest achievement when it accepted the NIH Director’s Award in recognition of the program’s “exceptional dedication to creating an opportunity for NIH students to improve their communication skills through the Volunteer Program for English Proficiency.”

With support from MCAEL, the volunteer-led NIH VPEP program received training and materials to support their program, which helps building maintenance staff develop their English literacy skills during their lunch break. As part of their grant, the program produced a guide for other federal agencies who may be interested in supporting similar volunteer programs for their employees.

Today in Montgomery County, one in seven residents is limited in their ability to communicate in English, and more than 80,000 adults lack the basic literacy skills to complete a job application. To learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing the County, click here to view the first-ever report, issued by MCAEL in July 2010.

The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy announces the award of more than $500,000 in grants to support adult English literacy programs across Montgomery County. Funding for the grants is provided in partnership with the Montgomery County Government, thanks to the generous support of County Executive Leggett and members of the Montgomery County Council. The objective of MCAEL’s grants program is to increase the availability of adult English literacy services offered to diverse populations, and to improve the quality of those services. For more information, please read our press release or click here to view a list of grants awarded.

On April 8th, MCAEL presented testimony to the Montgomery County Council. Click here to view the testimony and visit our local advocacy page to learn more and take action to support MCAEL's budget request.

Thank you to our friends and supporters who let us know they sent letters to the Governor, County Executive, and others to thank them for their support. We give special appreciation to Marcia Mindel, winner of our raffle. Says Marcia, “I am committed to doing what I can to help further literacy in adults and children. I retired in 2006 after teaching for MCPS for 35 years as a Special Education teacher. I continue to substitute at Viers Mill (my school for 30 years) and I am still very involved with the parents. I know first hand how important it is for the parents of our children to be literate. The success and future of our children depend on us educating their parents. I am proud to teach an ESOL class for Linkages to Learning at Highland Elementary. I really feel we are making a difference. MCAEL is an awesome organization. I will do whatever I can to help you advocate for Adult Literacy.”

MCAEL's FY11 RFP for adult English literacy programs is now available for download; please view the MCAEL Funding page to download the application and learn more. If you have questions, or are considering an application and would like to receive updates on the RFP and other communications, please contact Heather Ritchie, Program Manager, at 301.881.3177 or hritchie@mcael.org.

MCAEL's Adult English Literacy Grant Program is made possible through funding provided with the generous support of Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and the Montgomery County Council.

IQ Solutions, a Rockville-based information, communications, and education firm whose motto is Knowledge Improves Lives, recently embraced the cause of literacy. During the month of December, employees of the firm collected nearly 400 high-quality children’s’ books and snacks. The items are being donated to MCAEL and will be used by local programs Silver Spring Team for Children and Families and Linkages to Learning to support family

literacy.

MCAEL salutes IQ Solutions for their commitment and generosity to the community, and gives special thanks to coordinator Shelley Caplan.

Pictured at right are members of IQ Solutions staff with books collected during the drive.

From left to right are: Rachel Glass, MCAEL; Mary Anne Hess, Silver Spring Team; and IQ Solutions Staff, Shehani Selvarajah; Connie Holland; Shelley Caplan; and Manuel Alvarez.

Please join MCAEL and MAACCE as we thank Gov. Martin O'Malley for his continued support of our efforts in adult basic education, EDP, ESOL, correctional education, and family literacy throughout the State of Maryland. Please show your support by mailing in a postcard or by submitting a message of support online.

MCAEL Mourns the Loss of Dr. Deborah Bhattacharyya

Debbie Bhattacharyya, MCAEL Program Manager from 2007-2009, lost her battle to cancer on Monday, August 31st, 2009. We honor the memory of Debbie as a friend and colleague, and her legacy in advancing the work of MCAEL and the cause of adult English literacy in Montgomery County.

Recognizing her outstanding service to the community, her own past

work in academia, and legacy efforts in support of adult English literacy instructors, MCAEL has established the Dr. Deborah Bhattacharyya Memorial Fund for Teachers. The Fund will recognize and support outstanding teachers who embody the principles and values that Debbie brought to her own professional career. To support the Fund, please visit our Donate page.

NEW!!! Download the MCAEL Teacher Toolkit

Designed as a resource for new instructors, but with references and materials for professionals at any level, the Toolkit provides a one-stop manual for instructors on adult English language learning and resources for classroom instructrion. Visit Teacher Resources to download a free copy. Developed with generous support from the Comcast Foundation.

Get Educated

Download our new Fact Sheet to learn more about adult English literacy services in Montgomery County - and why your critical support is neeed. Visit our Advocacy section to learn more and see the new MCAEL video!

MCAEL is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2010 Community Grants. For more information, please visit MCAEL Funding

Please click here to dowload the report and learn more about our work over the past year.

June 14, 2010, 1-3pm
Montgomery County Education, Training and Workforce Providers Meeting

Do you want to help your clients:
•find a job?
•access training programs to help them prepare for their next job?
•develop new skills, such as English, literacy or career specific skills?

Join us on June 14th to meet new partners that can support the education, workforce and vocational needs of your clients; share your thoughts and experiences with a community of providers; learn about services offered by Montgomery College, Montgomery Works and MCAEL, and hear the results of our latest survey; tour Montgomery County’s One-Stop Workforce Center. Light refreshments will be served.

MontgomeryWorks One-Stop Centerat the UpCounty Regional Services Center
12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874. Phone: 240-777-2050

Hosted by representatives of: The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL), MontgomeryWorks, Montgomery College. Please RSVP to connect@mcael.org to confirm your attendance at this event.