GSB: Reimagining Adult Literacy with Dignity and Humanity Introduction

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: New Landscapes, New Visions: Reimagining Adult Education

Abstract

Abstract
This paper presents the design and implementation of GSB (blinded program name), an innovative adult literacy program that integrates theater arts with literacy instruction to create trauma-informed, culturally sustaining learning environments. Drawing from decolonial frameworks and relational pedagogies, the program challenges conventional approaches to adult literacy education that prioritize workplace readiness over personal enrichment and collective well-being. Through analysis of the pilot program outcomes and participant feedback, this study demonstrates how carefully designed learning experiences can help adult learners heal from educational trauma while developing literacy skills and positive learner identities. The findings suggest that adult literacy education must move beyond skills acquisition to address deeper questions of dignity, identity, and collective transformation.

Authors

• Ozivell Ecford, Northwestern University

• Heather Lindahl, Evanston Public Library

• Michael S. Horn, Northwestern University