This summer, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Adult Education Team hosted its third annual Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute at Sugarloaf Mountain. Adult Education teachers, curriculum designers, and administrators had the opportunity to learn from speakers, engage with different breakout sessions, and have meaningful discussions with their peers. Additionally, many fun activities, such as trail walks and yoga, were offered for participants to enjoy the nature of the Carrabassett Valley region.

Maine has become home to many refugees and asylum seekers. Over half of Maine’s Adult Education learners are multilingual and come from 115 different countries– five of the most enrolled are Somalia, Angola, D.R. Congo, Afghanistan, and Syria. The Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute aims to prepare educators to best support those of other cultures and help them overcome teaching obstacles.

There were two group-wide workshops at the conference. In these workshops, talented speakers presented on themes regarding adult education, particularly as it relates to culture, and allowed for group-wide discussion. One workshop, Deepening Our Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility, was led by Suheir Alaskari (Associate Director of Student Employment Services at Colby College), and the other, Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Cultural Communication with Adults, was led by Abbie Yamamoto (Director of Portland Adult Education).

The workshops aimed to educate professionals on issues that can present barriers for multilingual and multicultural learners. One important theme was the consciousness of social cues and language uses. Idioms and pop culture references are examples of high-context culture, as they feel natural to U.S.-born citizens, but can be highly confusing to outsiders. Not only is high-context culture confusing, but it also creates a barrier of exclusion. Conversely, low-context culture creates an inclusive space where people of varying backgrounds can learn from each other and bond. Another imperative theme was how taking the time to learn and understand the culture of adult students creates a more-relevant learning environment for them and validates their cultural identities.

Educators should also reflect on their own American culture and use it to find common ground with their students’ cultures to help connect further with them. Mike Emery (Director of Lake Region and Fryeburg Area Adult Education) remarks: “One of the things that has been really great in the past couple of years is we’ve shifted the focus from just being on instruction to a broader purpose. For someone who’s a director or doing other aspects of programming, it’s been really helpful to think about how to start new workforce partnerships in programs like that. There are some things around credentialing that are very different working with a foreign-born professional as someone born and raised in the US.” Focusing on consciousness and supporting students will not only enhance adult students’ learning but will also help them feel more accepted in America.

Some participants also led breakout sessions. There were four breakout sessions total and educators had six options to choose from per session. Some breakout topics included: Using EnGen for IET, Stuff I Wish My Teacher Knew, Using Data to Inform Multilingual Programming, The Immigrant Identity in the Classroom and Beyond, and Fostering Diversity in the Workforce: Building Partnerships and Pathways for Multilingual Learners, Paradigms of Belonging. Breakout sessions allowed for participants to focus on themes of interest and engage in more intimate discussions.

Educators appreciated having new frameworks to work within and gaining new skills in cultural competency. Many Adult Educators remark that their favorite part of their job is getting to see their students succeed: “It’s a bonus when you have students coming to you every day saying ‘Teacher, thank you so much. I learned so much today; this is incredible.’ They’re so appreciative, it’s amazing.” Remarks Melanie North (Teacher at Lewiston Adult Education and part of the Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute planning committee). As influxes of migrants continue to increase, it is imperative that educators are equipped to best teach and support them.

Joy and enthusiasm were in the air at Sugarloaf, and educators hope to keep the annual institute running and improving for many more years to come. “I really have seen that this institute over the past three years has grown and continues to grow. You can feel it in the field. I’ve worked in multiple programs in Kennebec County and I feel that because of this institute and the push to have culturally relevant professional development we’re seeing culturally-relevant adult education programs.” stated Tekia Cox (Academic Program Coordinator at Mid-Maine Regional Adult Community Education).