BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CalDiscovery//caldiscovery//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH DESCRIPTION:Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscover y.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information fro m CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. SOURCE:https://caldiscovery.com/el-paso-tx/src-18302.ics X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H X-WR-CALDESC:Discovered and maintained by CalDiscovery (https://caldiscove ry.com). Event details belong to their publishers. Contains information fr om CalDiscovery\, which is made available under the ODbL 1.0. X-WR-CALNAME:CalDiscovery - el-paso-tx BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Best of Texas: Mental Health Literacy DTSTART:20260910T180000Z DTEND:20260910T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:8984-1789045200-1789048800@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/best-of-texas-sep-2026/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2026 Focus Group - Program Administrators DTSTART:20260921T180000Z DTEND:20260921T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:9250-1789995600-1789999200@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-focus-group-program-admini strators/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Expert Edge: Introduction to Plain Language DTSTART:20260930T190000Z DTEND:20260930T203000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:8968-1790776800-1790782200@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/expert-edge-sep-2026/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2026 Focus Group - Classroom Instructors DTSTART:20261006T150000Z DTEND:20261006T160000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:9259-1791280800-1791284400@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-focus-group-instructors/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Best of Texas: Learning Differences & Disabilities DTSTART:20261008T180000Z DTEND:20261008T190000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:8998-1791464400-1791468000@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/best-of-texas-oct-2026/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What Leaders Need: Team-Building & Staff Development DTSTART:20261020T140000Z DTEND:20261020T153000Z DTSTAMP:20260903T190110Z UID:9013-1792486800-1792492200@www.literacytexas.org CATEGORIES:education DESCRIPTION:Author: Katie Welch\, Ph.D.\, Literacy Texas Executive Directo r \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As my tw o sons get older\, I find myself periodically sorting through their outgro wn clothes\, toys\, and\, yes\, even occasionally their books. This summer \, we were doing one such cleanout\, and I was struck by how many of the b ooks I was sorting through had a mailing label from the Dolly Parton Imagi nation Library. \nAlthough my boys are both teenagers now\, I still rememb er the joy of checking the mail when they were little and discovering what new title had been sent to us that month. \nSurrounded by a stack of book s\, I recalled fond memories of rocking with my babies and reading to them . Some of the books I still have memorized because we read them so often! \nThose sweet babies became squirmy toddlers and then talkative preschoole rs\, but even as they grew\, one constant remained: Dolly’s books. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As we collectively grieve the passing of beloved literacy ch ampion Dolly Parton\, I am struck by how one person could make such a last ing impact on children’s literacy. \nBy now\, her story has been well to ld. Her father\, while a very intelligent man with a lot of “horse sense \,” as she called it\, never had the opportunity to learn to read and wr ite. Dolly wanted to make sure others in her community did not suffer the same fate. \nSo\, in 1995\, she decided to use her earnings to make a diff erence\, establishing the Imagination Library in her home county in East T ennessee. What began as a local effort ultimately grew to distribute more than 330 million books to children around the world. \nWhat a precious gif t to those families—including mine! \n \n \n \n While Dolly’s work inspires us\, it also reminds us that there is still so much work to be done. \nAs of 2026\, Texas ranks 40th out of 50 for ad ult literacy. The adult literacy rate in our state is 81%\, with 19% of a dults lacking basic prose literacy skills. \nThat’s nearly 1 in 5 adults in Texas who need literacy education! And yet\, federal funds only serve about 3% of that need. Tens of thousands of Texans are on waiting lists fo r basic education in any given year. \nThese statistics should sober us an d\, like Dolly\, should also move us to act. \n \n \n \n At Literacy Texas\, we aim to help bridge the gap for the 97% of T exans whose needs are not being met through federally funded programs. We support adult education programs across the state that do not receive fede ral dollars—programs run by libraries\, churches\, and nonprofits. \nOur belief is simple: if we strengthen the quality of these community-based p rograms\, we can help ensure that all Texans have access to excellent inst ruction in ESL\, GED\, adult literacy\, and citizenship classes. \nMany of these programs are taught by volunteer teachers and funded solely through the generosity of fellow Texans. That’s why Literacy Texas\, in partner ship with the Texas Workforce Commission\, provides free training to equip these teachers and program administrators with the tools they need to off er engaging instruction and build strong\, sustainable programs. \ n \n \n \n The research is clear: a parent’s literacy l evel is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s educational success . And while putting children’s books into homes is a wonderful start\, w e must also ensure that the parents who retrieve those books from the mail box have the skills and confidence to open them\, read them\, and share th em with their children. \nDolly once said\, “The seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” \n \n \n \n I love that image of planting seeds. Dolly planted millions of th em. One book\, one mailbox\, one child at a time. My own family was fortun ate enough to receive some of those seeds\, and years later\, the books st acked in my house are a tangible reminder of just how far one person’s d ecision to act can reach. \nHere in Texas\, there are still millions of ad ults—and millions of families—whose futures can be changed through lit eracy. We may not all have Dolly’s platform or resources\, but we can fo llow her example. \nWe can teach a class. \nVolunteer with a local program . \nAdvocate for literacy. \nSupport the organizations doing this work. \n Or simply recognize that adult literacy is not only about changing one per son’s life. Its impact reaches into homes\, workplaces\, communities\, a nd ultimately the next generation. \nDolly showed us what can happen when we see a literacy need and decide to do something about it. \nMay we keep planting seeds\, Texas! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Find us on socials \n \n \n \n Lite racy Texas is on Facebook! And we’d love to have you join us. Events\, a rticles\, recommendations\, and celebrations of literacy across the great state of Texas. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n go to the Literacy Texas page on Facebook LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T190110Z LOCATION:Online Event – Zoom URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/leaders-oct-2026/ X-SOURCE-NAME:Literacy Texas X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.literacytexas.org/calendar/2026-symposium-far-wes t END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR