As many of you know, I had the lucky opportunity to be the first MCAEL employee to enjoy a sabbatical leave for 6 weeks early this year. It was a great time to recharge, think, and explore. I was able to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia on a magnificent trip full of great food, interesting people, wonderful sights and a different view of history. Our group was often approached by children and adults who wanted to practice their English. And, many of the people I met near Angkor Wat in Cambodia learned their English by selling items to the tourists there. The MCAEL Staff and Board did a great job maintaining business as usual while I was gone and I can’t thank them enough for stepping in. While it is good to be away, it is also good to be back. We have lots to look forward to this Spring!  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