Putting Adult Learners at the Center of Advocacy: MACAE’s Legislative Roundtable

The Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association (MACAE), in partnership with Kent ISD, recently hosted a legislative roundtable that brought together more than 120 adult learners and four state legislative candidates representing the Grand Rapids region.

Participating candidates included Abbie Groff-Blaszak (D–Senate District 29), Rachel Crowther (D–House District 90), Lynn Armoulis (R–House District 90), and Carol Glanville (D–Senate District 30).

Although MACAE prepared sample questions to guide the discussion, learners brought their own experiences to the conversation and asked about the issues that mattered most to them. Topics included adult education funding, affordable housing and childcare, barriers to education and employment, and the cost of earning a high school equivalency credential.

The roundtable gave learners an opportunity to share their perspectives directly with candidates, who also connected with participants before and after the discussion. These conversations offered candidates a firsthand look at the adults served by Michigan’s adult education programs and the impact those programs have on individuals and communities.

The impact continued beyond the event. In follow-up classroom discussions, instructors helped learners better understand the voting process, including how to find their polling location, vote by mail, and access information about candidates online. This follow-up connected the roundtable discussion with practical information learners could use to participate in the upcoming election.

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For MACAE, the event was an opportunity to support civic engagement while building relationships with current and future policymakers. We hope to replicate this model during future election cycles and build on these connections through MACAE’s annual Advocacy Day and other opportunities for policymakers to engage with adult learners.

We are grateful to Kent ISD for its partnership in making this event possible. The roundtable reinforced the value of creating opportunities for adult learners to share their experiences, engage with policymakers, and participate in the civic process. By combining direct conversations with candidates and follow-up classroom instruction, adult education programs can help learners become informed and engaged members of their communities while building meaningful connections between adult learners and current and future policymakers.