In the second week of March 1974, CAEL held its first meeting. Known then as the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning, CAEL was housed at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. This inaugural incarnation, comprised of 10 members, was funded for 16 months. Today, 50 years and more than 150 additional grant partners later, CAEL’s nonprofit membership organization boasts a network that spans all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, Canada, Jamaica, Singapore, and Ireland. CAEL plans several commemorations this year to mark its 50th anniversary, culminating in its 50th annual conference, which will be held in New Orleans Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Registrations can be completed at cael.org.
We hope to see you at the 2024 Thriving Communities and Economic Mobility Regional Summit April 26 in Atlanta. The event will focus on partnership development that aligns systems and key actors in the workforce, education, and employment ecosystems, bridging the gap between adult learners and the meaningful careers that drive social and economic mobility. For added convenience, we’re hosting the summit immediately following another special event, our free SNAP Employment & Training National Partnership Summit. The SNAP E&T Summit will be held in the same location, the AMA Atlanta Executive Conference Center, on April 25.
A golden jubilee isn’t the only thing setting the 2024 conference apart from its predecessors. CAEL has received the most conference proposals ever for the 50th annual event. With registration open as of April 15 (the earliest date ever for a CAEL conference), participants have an unparalleled array of pre-conference events to choose from. In addition, in honor of the 50th anniversary, early registrants can save $50 off a bundled pre-conference workshop and conference option. Use the discount code 50forFifty when registering to receive this limited discount. Register at cael.org.
CAEL is accepting nominations for the 2024 CAEL Awards, which, with last year’s debut of the Community Impact Award, now number five. The awards are presented at CAEL’s annual conference. Award parameters and nomination instructions are at cael.org.
Indiana has launched its first-ever statewide policy guidance for credit for prior learning. Developed in partnership with CAEL, the policy guidance sets forth a CPL value statement and supports consistency in critical facets of CPL, including program and service design, transcriptions and transferability, standards for assessing CPL, and community, workforce, and employer partnerships.
CAEL's latest research brief, Stopping Out: It’s Not About Academics, discusses the reasons adult learners give for stopping out of learning and what this suggests for needed institutional supports as well as the ways in which adult learner success is measured and tracked.