Executive Director Blog

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. 

A few months ago, we took a staff trip to visit Planet Word, the Washington DC museum “where language comes to life.” It’s an immersive, technology-forward experience...

In times of crisis, we often hear the refrain 'look for the helpers' as a guiding principle. However, in these days of divisions in our world, I am more interested in finding...

When you plug in a lamp and turn it on, you have light, thanks to the connection to electricity. After our last Koffee with Kathy, I walked away with new ideas and energy...

If you slept in this morning, you missed a dynamic Coffee with Kathy conversation. The ideas were flying - we discussed in-person vs. online ESOL classes, technology...

Today is the day.  It is the first day of school in Montgomery County, MD for over 160,000 students, their teachers, para-educators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and all the ... 

In the MCAEL network, many programs are continuing to offer online adult ESOL classes, while also returning to in-person learning too. Learners have relished the convenience of ...

First, a big thank you to all who made 15 years at MCAEL possible! We are incredibly grateful to celebrate this major milestone with partners like you–and we’d like your help ...

I’ve recently become obsessed with a viral video of a 4-year old snowboarder who happens to hit the slopes dressed as a dinosaur.You may have seen the...

We are approaching another set of holidays where, in pre-pandemic times, sitting together with family and friends around a table for a Seder dinner or Easter brunch ...

Did you know our libraries - Montgomery County Public Libraries offer dance parties?  Well, that is one of many things I learned today during my MCAEL Connects ...

One of my staff recently asked me about how I came to work at MCAEL.  She said, “You have a good story.”  Well, I don’t know if it is a good story, but I will say that as I reflect on the ...

I’ve been thinking about the digital divide a lot in recent months. You hear the phrase a lot, but what actually is it, what do our community members need, and is there ...

Seek first to understand, then to be understood (Dr. Stephen Covey).  This seems like a very easy concept, but how many times in a day do we start from the opposite ...

MCAEL is a capacity building organization and as such our work which supports the network of  classes that serve 15,000+ adult English students each year is proactive, intentional ...

Words matter.  That is one of the reasons we support the network of programs that teach English to adults – we know that for people to reach their goals being able to use their ...