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Pima Honors Mayor Romero and Congressman Grijalva for Championing Adult Education

Tucson, AZ –  Pima Community College Adult Education for College and Career is holding an event to honor Mayor Regina Romero and Congressman Raúl Grijalva for being recognized by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) as ‘champions’ for adult education.

  • What:  Adult Education Champion Award will be presented to Mayor Romero and Congressman Grijalva
  • Where:  El Rio Adult Learning Center, 1390 W. Speedway Blvd.
  • When:  10-10:30 a.m., Sept. 22, 2022

Both Mayor Romero and Congressman Grijalva will receive COABE’s Adult Education Champion Award for their work championing the needs of adult learners seeking the basic, digital literacy and workforce skills needed to access family sustaining careers. This recognition comes as part of National Adult Education Family Literacy Week, an event aimed at raising awareness about the need for adult education nationwide. 

COABE is the leading national organization representing the U.S. system of adult education. COABE provides award winning leadership, communication, professional development and advocacy services to more than 79,000 adult educators and 1.5 million adult learners.

“We would like to congratulate Mayor Romero and Congressman Grijalva for this recognition of their leadership and support for Adult Ed,” said Laurie Kierstead-Joseph, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Adult Basic Education for College and Career at Pima Community College. “Mayor Romero and Congressman Grijalva have been long-time advocates for adult learners in Pima County and at Pima Community College. They both recognize the importance of ensuring that adults have access to the education needed to prepare for and secure a family sustaining career."

Mayor Romero has been a supporter of Adult Ed since her time as a City Councilwoman and was one of the first mayors to have issued a city-wide Proclamation to honor Adult Education and Family Literacy week in 2021 and has issued a Proclamation again this year. She is committed to supporting the city-owned facilities for adult education services in Tucson -- both El Pueblo Liberty Adult Learning Center in the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center and El Rio Adult Learning Center in the El Rio Neighborhood Center -- reiterating her support at a community forum in March 2022.  

Congressman Grijalva has championed Adult Education since his time as Pima County Supervisor and is keenly aware of the value of and need for adult basic education.  As Congressman, he has fought for yearly increases in federal funding to adult education at a national level. This funding is essential if we are to support the 51.4 million U.S. adults that are low-skilled in literacy and the 75.1 million adults that are low-skilled in numeracy.

About Adult Education at Pima

For more than 50 years, Pima’s Adult Basic Education for College and Career has played a critical role in promoting adult ed in the community. Each year, it helps thousands of adult students who need to strengthen their basic literacy and math skills, improve their English, study for a High School Equivalency diploma, and prepare for college and career. 

For more information about Adult Basic Education for College and Career classes, email adulted@pima.edu, call 520-206-7330 or visit pima.edu/adulted.

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