Posted at the request of Tom Sticht

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June 29, 2005

Free Functional Context Education (FCE) Workshops:

DoL Has Five Million Dollars for FCE in the United States

Tom Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education

A message posted June 28, 2005 on the Workplace Literacy Discussion List
(www.nifl.gov/pipermail/nifl-workplace/2005/000661.html) announces the
availability of $5,000,000 for a U. S. Department of Labor (DoL) grants
project for Functional Context Education that integrates English as a
Second Language (ESL) education and occupational training. The DOL
announcement refers to these types of programs as "Vocational English as a
Second Language (VESL)" or "contextualized' programs.

The NIFL message says that "The Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
has announced the availability of approximately $5 million in demonstration
grant funds to test unique and innovative training strategies for services
to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) (those who do not
speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to
read, speak, write, or understand English and Hispanic Americans,
specifically, those who lack basic and occupational skills needed by
high-growth occupations. This demonstration program is targeted to
incumbent workers, new job entrants or youth who lack the language, basic
skills, and occupational skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century
workplace. This demonstration program emphasizes the use of innovative
contextualized learning strategies which simultaneously provide language
and occupational skills training that open career opportunities and
pathways for LEP and Hispanic Americans. 
It is anticipated that individual
awards will fall within the range of $500,000 to $1 million. The Department
reserves the right to award grants at either lower or higher amounts.
Application deadline: The closing date for receipt of applications is
August 15, 2005."

The new Department of Labor project is consistent with the focus on
Functional Context Education taking place in a number of industrialized
nations at the present time. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain,
New Zealand, and the United States there is a growing concern for education
that is more relevant to the needs of youth and adults who are at risk of
social exclusion and marginalization because of their lack of basic skills
and knowledge education. To develop the understanding and resources needed
to design, develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of relevant
instructional programs for these youth and adults, I am offering a FREE
workshop on Functional Context Education for which the sponsors of the
workshop pay only travel and accommodation expenses, no fees.

NAME OF THE WORKSHOP:
Functional Context Education: Making Learning Relevant in the 21st Century


DESCRIPTION:
Who should attend?

Policymakers, managers, administrators, teachers and trainers, involved in
programs integrating basic skills with important content knowledge, with a
focus on vocational and academic skills, such as involved in:
* school-to-work;
* welfare-to-work;
* workplace literacy;
* vocational and job skills training,
* general academic and GED education,
* intergenerational and family literacy programs, and
* other programs for undereducated youth and adults

Researchers and policy analysts who study human learning, assessment and
develop education policies.
What will you learn?
* You will gain an understanding of the conceptual framework of Functional
Context Education (FCE) based on cognitive science.
* You will learn the scientific, evidence-based research that validates the
FCE principles and methods.
* You will learn how various approaches to "contextual learning" such as
"situated," "embedded" or "integrated" basic skills relate to FCE.
* You will learn what research and development following FCE principles and
methods has been accomplished in several industrialized nations.
* You will learn the differences between FCE and traditional adult
education.
* You will learn how to use FCE principles and methods to design new courses
of instruction for workforce education, family literacy, and lifelong
learning.
* You will learn different techniques for determining what is relevant to
youth and adult learners: focus groups; individual interviews; literacy
task analysis; photographic ethnography; community newspapers; teachers and
students as researchers and reporters; environmental analysis and design for
learning.
* You will learn where you can download free materials for FCE from
internet web sites
in different nations.

CONTACT: To arrange for the presentation of this one day workshop in your
local area contact:

Tom Sticht
International Consultant in Adult Education
2062 Valley View Blvd.
El Cajon, CA 92019-2059
Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133
Email: tsticht at aznet.net