Events

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FRI. 1/30/26 (NOTE: You must register for EACH day you plan to attend)

If you require ASL Interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at [email protected]

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

General Session: From Academic Language to the Language of Access: History, Harm, and New Possibilities in Adult Education, presented by Michelle Benegas, Hamline University

Session Description: Adult educators across Minnesota work with learners navigating many linguistic worlds — high school equivalency, college preparation, workplace expectations, digital communication, and more. Yet the term “academic language,” once proposed as a neutral support for learners, has increasingly functioned as a racialized hierarchy that privileges certain ways of speaking and writing.

This session slows down the history: how scholars such as Cummins and Zwiers framed academic language, why their models resonated at the time, and how more recent work — including that of Nelson Flores — challenges us to rethink what we are actually asking learners to do. Using storytelling, brief video clips, and interactive breakout reflections, we will explore the shift toward the language of access: a practical, justice-oriented approach that asks not “How do we correct learners?” but “How do we equip them with multiple linguistic resources to move through unequal systems?”

Participants will leave with concrete strategies, fresh perspectives, and a deeper understanding of how language can either reinforce barriers or open doors in adult education settings.