On Friday May 29, 2020, we ask that you participate in a virtual celebration Mental Health Awareness Week by sending out Tweets and Instagram messages to our elected officials to support funding for Adult Education and show how our programs support students' mental and emotional health.

Sample Tweets 

• Adult Education promotes mental health  and adult literacy for learners. By maintaining classes in remote settings during this crisis, we are providing ways for them to cope and learn. Please restore funding FY2021 #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2020 
• Mentally healthy parents help their children receive a better education. Support Adult Literacy Programs #LiteracyLiftsNYC #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2020

Send Tweets mentioning the Mayor (@NYCMayor), Speaker Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo), and your Council Members, and tag NYCCAL (@nyccal).

Instead of our social media Friday this week, we’d love students, teachers, and providers to submit videos to accompany the testimony before our Thursday, 5/21’s NYC Council Hearing on Immigration, (Remote Hearing scheduled for 9:30-11:00am).

Key points to hit in the 1-minute video:

• Why is your adult literacy program (HSE, ABE, or ESOL English classes) important to you?
• We want $12 million to be included in the city budget to restore Adult Literacy funding for FY2021 so that our adult learners do not lose access to these critical programs.

Upload videos to this Google Photo Album (https://photos.app.goo.gl/rxxooQzeLXVoU4KM7).
If your students are able to, tweet your videos at City Council (instructions included below). Otherwise, teachers and providers can tweet on their behalf.

We are continuing our Virtual Advocacy Rallies every Friday for the next few weeks.

On Friday May 15, 2020, we ask that you participate in a virtual celebration of Mother’s Day by sending out Tweets and Instagram messages to our elected officials to support funding for Adult Education.

Sample Tweets 

• Adult Education educates parents! Help parents support their children- restore $12m for Adult Literacy! #LiteracyLiftsNYC #MothersDay
• Educated parents help their children receive a better education. Support Adult Literacy Programs #LiteracyLiftsNYC #MothersDay

Send Tweets mentioning the Mayor (@NYCMayor), Speaker Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo), and your Council Members, and tag NYCCAL (@nyccal).

Read More for Sample Messages, Hashtags, More Social Media Handles of City Council Members...

Join us for the 2020 #LiteracyLiftsNY Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 5,

Each year, the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCCAL) and Literacy NY (LNY) meet in Albany to advocate for Adult Literacy Education funding. By meeting with elected officials who have a final say in the State budget, NYCCAL's Advocacy Day is our chance to emphasize the importance of supporting and expanding Adult Literacy for all New Yorkers.

To kick off the day, Assemblymember Ron Kim will join us to host a rally for Adult Literacy in the State Capitol Building. We'll spend the rest of the day meeting with State Senators and Assemblymembers to demonstrate the widespread need for expanded access to adult literacy. Join us to make sure our Albany representatives hear our message loud and clear: #LiteracyLiftsNY!

If you are interested in going and maybe bringing some students, please register here

LOGISTICS:
WHO: New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy
WHAT: #LiteracyLiftsNY Advocacy Day
WHEN: Wednesday, February 5 (meet in Albany at 10:30am)
WHERE: New York State Capitol (btw State St. & Washington Ave)
WHY: Advocate for Adult Literacy Funding in New York State

GETTING TO AND FROM ALBANY:
From NYC: NYCCAL members will have access to 2 buses with centralized pick-up locations throughout NYC. Due to limited space, we're currently capping bus registration for organizations at 20 people. Remaining seats on a first-come, first-serve basis.

From Upstate: Please meet NYC participants at 10:45 AM at the State Capitol.

Please contact Lena Cohen and Ariel Savransky  with any questions. Thank you!

It's that time of year again to join together for a #LiteracyLiftsNY Day in Albany on Wednesday, February 5th!   

We know the beginning of the year is hectic but our decision makers need to hear from YOU and your students! 

​Each year we talk to many elected officials who understand that Adult Literacy is underfunded and the difficulties this causes our community and we need to keep making sure they hear our message!  Throughout the day we will meet with legislators about the NYCCAL priorities and make sure they see our faces and understand #LiteracyLifts!   
 
Details on how to sign up and other day of logistics will be added soon.

The Senate and Assembly both added money in their one-house budgets released earlier this week for Adult Literacy Education. The Senate essentially restored the $1.5 million added last year and the Assembly added $3 million.

​In order to keep pressure on the Senate and Assembly to continue to fight for this funding, we are asking programs to tweet a thank you to the Senate and Assembly as well as to our Senate and Assembly champions for their support. In the Senate, the champion is Jessica Ramos and in the Assembly, the champions are Yuh-Line Niou, Ron Kim and Pat Fahy. Following are sample tweets and twitter handles of the targets. Also tweet @NYSA_Majority and don't forget to mention NYCCAL @NYCCAL, and use our state hashtag #LiteracyLiftsNY.
 
Thank you @NYSenate for supporting Adult Literacy Education (ALE) in your one-house. We still need your support to help the 3.5 million New Yorkers (1/4 of our state's adult population) that need adult education. #LiteracyLiftsNY @NYCCAL
 
Thank you <@insertmembername> for championing Adult Literacy Education (ALE) in your one-house budget and fighting for the 3.5 million New Yorkers (1/4 of our state's adult population) that need adult education. #LiteracyLiftsNY @NYCCAL
 
Fill in with below names:
@jessicaramos
@rontkim
@Patriciafahy109
@yuhline
 
Feel free to come up with your own tweets as well.