MCAEL Community Blog

On Friday, October 25th, the MCAEL staff had the privilege of visiting WUMCO Help's facility in Poolesville, MD. What began as a quick journey to distribute our Adult English Language Program Directories turned into an insightful tour of WUMCO’s expansive ESOL classroom, designed for local residents, and their food pantry, where they provide shelf-stable goods and fresh produce to the community. Supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, community members, and local Boy Scout troops, WUMCO is committed to addressing food, language, health, and financial insecurities in Poolesville and the surrounding areas. We are proud to partner with WUMCO Help , which began with MCAEL as a Start-Up Grant recipient in 2023 and then grew to become an Access Small Grant recipient the following year. To learn more about WUMCO and the good work of all of our current Grant Partners, click here.

Dear MCAEL Community: I am writing to share with you that I will be leaving MCAEL as of early October. I have accepted a position as President and CEO at the Healthcare Initiative Foundation. After 12 years of stewarding and growing the coalition, our team, and the organization’s role in the county, it is time for me to pass the torch to new leadership and pursue some new challenges of my own. MCAEL is a strong organization that has proven the value of having one entity coordinate the work of the coalition to build a diverse network of adult English language learning opportunities. With the partnership of Montgomery County government, dedicated coalition organizations, and incredible supporters and volunteers, MCAEL continues to provide much needed and much desired English classes. With an incredible staff, the organization is well positioned to continue to meet the needs of our community. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as MCAEL’s Executive Director. It has been rewarding to work alongside such a remarkably talented team, engaged Board members, dedicated program staff and instructors, and committed funders and supporters. While I'll miss MCAEL, the people I've worked with, and most especially the thousands of adult learners we have been able to support, I am excited to see MCAEL continue its growth and leadership in the county. The Board of Directors is meeting to identify the search process and timeline for a successor leader of MCAEL and that information will be shared as soon as practical. I will be working with the staff, board, and coalition to ensure a thoughtful and smooth transition. Thanks to you and the many other people who support MCAEL’s work, I am confident that the organization will continue to be strong and impactful. With gratitude, Kathy Stevens

I’ve had to use Uber more in the last month than the entire last year while my car was out of commission. As you may know, the app offers you the option to indicate your comfort level with conversation. While I was trying to lean into just relaxing on the car rides and not talking much, I couldn’t help myself and quickly started conversations with my drivers. Many of my drivers were non-native English speakers, and they shared their experiences adjusting to a new country while not being comfortable with the language. Their stories echoed an all-too-common experience among immigrants in our community, who often work at jobs below their training levels. We discussed how to find English classes, should they be interested, and I was even able to connect one of my drivers to a workforce development opportunity.  Sure, it would have been more convenient to have my car in working order so I could drive myself to work. But I never would have made these rewarding connections.

MCAEL’s new initiative, Centering Learner Voices , aims to balance power dynamics by amplifying learner voices and providing learners tools and opportunities to advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities. One important component of this is establishing a forum for learners. MCAEL’s inaugural Learner Leadership Group (LLG) took place last month, bringing together current learners from a variety of first languages to share their experiences and interests. The LLG is designed to elevate learner voices so that their ideas, goals, and lived experience are reflected in MCAEL’s network programming and advocacy. The current group is made up of five people representing three languages (Spanish, French, and Amharic). In our first meeting, participants expressed their desire to communicate effectively and powerfully, in order to advocate for themselves and other learners. To learn more about MCAEL’s Learner Leadership Group (LLG) and updates on Centering Learner Voices, subscribe to our newsletter or stay connected via our social media channels. Kathy Stevens Executive Director, MCAEL

It's amazing what happens when you get out and do something. I’m not talking about “getting out of your comfort zone” -- sometimes just getting out is enough. Since the pandemic lockdown a few years ago, we’ve settled into a “hybrid” mode – meetings and events that used to require us to be in person may now sometimes be virtual. This works well in many ways: it’s more convenient, eliminates the commute, and allows people to stay in their sweats all day if that’s what they want to do. But there is also something lost. Being in-person allows for deeper connection and organic interactions that just can’t be achieved on a screen. There’s also the sensorial satisfaction of living, breathing, seeing, hearing, and smelling someplace new. An online tour of Cuba could never have replaced my experience of the real thing this past March. And I certainly wouldn't have connected with someone on my tour, who was not only a Montgomery County resident, but also, coincidentally, part of the local ESOL community. In March, MCAEL held our biennial professional development conference. Of course, it’s possible to hold a conference online – in fact, the previous conference two years earlier was virtual. This year, over 100 people came together in person, and the energy was palpable. People were excited to make connections and strengthen their community. At least one person even walked away from the conference with a new job! MCAEL will have plenty of get-out-there opportunities coming up this year: our in-person annual meeting, in-person professional development workshops and casual brown-bag lunches, to name a few. Looking forward to seeing you out! - Kathy Stevens Executive Director, MCAEL