Adult learners often feel their voices are not heard within their communities, that, in fact, they have no impact in circles beyond the personal. Whether a result of language barriers, a learning disability, or little formal education, these learners sometimes feel that they cannot effectively voice their needs and opinions as parents, workers, and citizens.

To address this concern, we designed a lesson to advocate for a learner-identified cause. It was important to choose a cause that was manageable. For example, while capital punishment was a concern too large to be taken on by a class project, advocating for an educational issue was practical.

    Debbie Peterson and Denise DiMarzio
    Providence Public Library, Literacy Department
    Providence, Rhode Island

    Posted to NELRC/Tech Web site: May 2000