Scale LIT

📅 Save the Date!

Join us on September 17, 2026, for the next LWIA 7 Workforce System Partner Meeting as workforce and adult education partners come together to explore this year's timely topic:

Co-Enrollment as Advocacy

We're excited to convene partners from across the workforce ecosystem for a morning of shared learning, collaboration, and discussion about how stronger alignment can create better outcomes for the communities we serve.

Thank you to our partners at the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership and to Arturo Velásquez Institute - Richard J. Daley College for hosting us.

We look forward to seeing you there!

📍 Arturo Velásquez Institute
🕙 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
🍽️ Lunch Provided

💬 What Members Are Saying

We're grateful to Mandy Bozart and our partners at Trellus for sharing their experience as a scaleLIT member.

Membership is about more than access to resources—it's about building connections, sharing knowledge, and strengthening the adult education ecosystem together.

Thank you, Trellus, for being a valued member of the scaleLIT community. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the year ahead!

🚀 Through our partnership with Grow with Google, scaleLIT is helping adult education and workforce organizations across Illinois build practical AI knowledge and prepare for the future of work.

Following the success of our inaugural cohort—which engaged 51 professionals from 11 organizations and resulted in more than 265 completed courses —we're excited to announce that applications are now open for our next Grow with Google AI Scholarship opportunity!

Selected participants will have access to Google-developed training, including:

• Google AI Essentials
• Google Prompting Essentials
• Accelerate Your Job Search with AI

Whether you're exploring AI for the first time or looking to strengthen how your organization supports learners, this opportunity is designed to help you build practical skills that can be applied immediately in adult education and workforce settings.

Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis.

Learn more and apply:
www.scalelit.org/growwithgoogle

✨ Thank You for a Wonderful Night of 1K Stars! ✨

Last night, we gathered at the Harold Washington Library to celebrate something truly special—the power of lifelong learning.

We are grateful to our event sponsor, Burlington English Inc., for helping us make this celebration possible, and to the Illinois Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias.

Most importantly, thank you to the adult learners who shared their talents, stories, and voices with us. Your dedication, courage, and commitment to learning inspire us all and remind us that it is never too late to pursue new opportunities. Also, thank you to the educators, tutors, and staff who support learners every day.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. We can't wait to do it again next year. 🌟

📸 https://www.emphotography.net/1000starts26/h5ceb5712

Participating Organizations:
Chicago Public Library Adult ESL Tutoring Program - Pui Tak Center, Aquinas Literacy Center, UNITED FOR BETTER LIVING INC, PODER & Oprima-1 LLC, Literacy Volunteers of Illinois Erie Neighborhood House, Trellus, The Learning Center/House of Connections, Indo-American Center

Shoutout to Inspiration Kitchens, and Eileen Molony Photography

✨ Tonight, the Stars Shine Bright!

We're looking forward to celebrating adult learners and the organizations that support them at Night of 1,000 Stars.

A special thank you to BurlingtonEnglish for helping make this evening possible through their generous sponsorship.

We'll see you tonight!

5:30 PM | Harold Washington Library 🌟

🌟 Don't Miss Night of 1,000 Stars This Thursday!

The countdown is on! We're just days away from celebrating the achievements, resilience, and ongoing journeys of adult learners from across Illinois.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of learner performances, storytelling, community, and celebration.

Thursday, July 30 | 5:30 PM
Harold Washington Library

We can't wait to celebrate lifelong learning with you. See you there! ✨

https://ow.ly/U4Ob50ZqTGb

🌟 One Week Away!

In just one week, we'll come together for Night of 1K Stars—a citywide celebration of adult learners and the organizations that support them.

Join learners, educators, workforce partners, libraries, and community organizations from across Illinois as we celebrate lifelong learning in every season of life through storytelling, performances, and community.

We can't wait to welcome you to an evening filled with joy, connection, and celebration.

July 30 | 5:30 PM
Harold Washington Library

There's still time to RSVP—we hope to celebrate with you! ✨

https://ow.ly/tiPF50ZqTCl

🤝 Did you know there are opportunities to connect, collaborate, and learn across the LWIA 7 workforce system throughout the year?

Workforce development is relationship-driven work, and every conversation helps build a more connected and responsive system for our partners and customers.

This August, partners from across our four comprehensive American Job Centers will come together for Center-Level Meetings focused on understanding the Adult Education landscape.

Together, we'll explore:

The role of Adult Education within the Workforce ecosystem
Opportunities for collaboration across WIOA partners
Building more connected pathways to education, training, and employment for the communities we serve

If you'd like to learn more or connect with the OSO Team, we'd love to hear from you!

AJC in Wheeling – [email protected]
AJC at Prairie State College – [email protected]
AJC in Pilsen – [email protected]
AJC at the King Center – [email protected]

🚀 The future of work is evolving, and adult education and workforce professionals are learning right alongside it.

Over the last four months, 51 professionals from 11 organizations participated in scaleLIT's inaugural Grow with Google AI Scholarship Cohort, completing more than 265 courses and 410 hours of learning while exploring practical applications of AI in their work.

From supporting learners and streamlining workflows to strengthening workforce development strategies, participants are helping shape what responsible and equitable AI integration can look like across Illinois.

And we're just getting started.

Applications for our next Grow with Google scholarship opportunity open on August 1 and will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Read about the accomplishments of our first cohort and learn how you can participate in the next opportunity!

https://www.scalelit.org/blog/growwithgooglecohort-early-klcad

🌟 A Special Guest. A Citywide Celebration. A Night to Remember.

We're honored to welcome Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias as a special guest at Night of 1,000 Stars on July 30.

His attendance reflects a commitment and understanding that adult learners matter. Their achievements matter. And lifelong learning deserves to be celebrated.

Night of 1,000 Stars brings together adult learners, educators, workforce partners, libraries, and community organizations from across Illinois for an evening of storytelling, creativity, and celebration. Together, we'll honor the achievements, resilience, and ongoing journeys of lifelong learners who remind us that it is never too late to learn, grow, and pursue new opportunities.

We hope you'll join us at the Harold Washington Library for this unforgettable citywide celebration of adult learners and the organizations that support them. Register today and be part of an evening where lifelong learning shines bright. 🌟

Register here: https://ow.ly/EkoG50ZnPGo