Judy Mortrude supports the Adult Numeracy Initiative 2.0 professional development and the Integrated Education and Training in Correctional and Reentry Education initiatives, as well as other state and national projects. Judy is a national expert on the Ability to Benefit provision of the Higher Education Act, promoting dual enrollment for adult learners. She is president of the National Coalition for Literacy and has a BA in English composition and secondary education, an MA in English literature, and an adult education teaching licensure.
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Jamie Harris co-leads the Innovating Distance Education in Adult Learning Consortium of states. As adult education program specialist at the Maryland Department of Labor, Jamie led the development of a digital literacy framework for adult learners and a digital literacy framework instructor implementation guide. She has served as faculty and coordinator in community colleges, a university, and a foreign language program. Jamie has an M.Ed adult education from Regent University and a nonprofit leadership certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education.
Priyanka Sharma provides technical assistance, coaching, and professional development on college and career readiness, Integrated Education and Training (IET), financial literacy, technology integration and digital literacy. She has extensive expertise in using technology to enhance and accelerate learning experiences, online and in-person. Priyanka is a prolific user of social media and works on finding ways of integrating social media and tech tools in professional development design and delivery.
Prior to becoming the Director of the New England Literacy Resource Center, Priyanka managed a non-profit arts organization raising its profile to a national level by shepherding a fundraising campaign, engaging new partners, and leveraging supporters and allies. As part of her commitment to community involvement, she has served as the Board Chair of The City School, a youth leadership organization based in Boston. She had previously served as the Board President of Friends of Community Learning Center, an organization that raises funds and public awareness for the Community Learning Center, an adult basic education program in Cambridge, MA. Priyanka has a degree in Biology and Anthropology from the State University of New York.
Cynthia Peters has been the editor of The Change Agent since June 2007. Her focus at The Change Agent is to create a magazine that teaches reading, writing, math, and critical thinking in the context of social issues that are relevant to adult learners. To further support classroom learning, Cynthia has aligned the lessons and extensions in the magazine with the College and Career Readiness Standards. She presents at national and state adult education conferences on a variety of topics, including persistence, civic participation, math, digital literacy, and using socially relevant materials that are aligned with the College and Career Readiness Standards. From 2013-15, she taught the online persistence course for World Education. She currently teaches ESOL in a workplace-based program in Boston, and since 2002 has taught a wide range of adult education classes, including ABE, GED, Bridge to College, and the Adult Diploma Program.
Ebony Vandross supports the EdTech Center in addition to multiple projects for the World Education U.S. division. She developed an interest in the field of adult education as a Literacy Volunteer with the Boston Public Library, and as a Resource Center Volunteer with Women’s Lunch Place. After arriving at WEI she became involved with The Change Agent, drawn to the publication and its commitment to center the voices of adult literacy students, immigrants, and people of color. She hopes this work will aid her in her support of social justice and progress for marginalized communities.