Congratulations to College of Western Idaho (CWI) employee Trevi Hardy, selected by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) as a 2022 State Advocate for Adult Education Fellow (SAAEF) representing Idaho. Hardy has been at CWI since 2010 working in various roles within the College’s Adult Education program.
Focused on the development of leadership, advocacy skills, research capacity, and network of influence for adult educators, educational staff, and/or administrators, the purpose of this fellowship is to help build a robust network of leaders and advocates focused on the advancement of adult literacy across the country.
During the part-time, year-long fellowship, fellows will engage in national and regional policy discussions and join a growing number of peers dedicated to building advocacy. The COABE State Advocacy Fellowship comprises a series of federal- and state-related training sessions focused on building advocacy and leadership skills.
“This program has proven success increasing funding and visibility at the state level”, said Sharon Bonney, Chief Executive Officer for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education. Bonney cited the recent Collective Impact Report that was published by COABE noting the accomplishments of the first cohort of the Fellowship.
“I am thrilled for the 2022 SAAEF Fellows as they spend the next year learning how to become better advocates for adult education across the country and better leaders, with the ultimate goal of providing the best adult education systems for our students. We are mindful that legislators do not make policy, the stories of our students and our teachers do,” says Jeffrey Abramowitz, Chair of the SAAEF Fellowship Program.
“I am excited to participate in training opportunities provided through this fellowship and learn from professionals across the country how to advocate for adult education,” said Hardy. “Idaho has more than 90,000 working-age adults without a high school credential. Many of these adults are students in Adult Education here at CWI where they are accessing math, reading, and writing literacy; GED preparation; English language instruction; digital skills classes, college and career preparation; and other workforce training. CWI’s Adult Education students often continue their journey at CWI in Workforce Development, career-technical, and academic transfer programs. As an advocate for adult education, I would like to increase awareness of and commitment to adult education in our state which is what I hope this fellowship can help me accomplish.”
