About this Event
Beyond Barriers brings together adult ESOL professionals from across Montgomery County for a day of learning, connection, and reflection.
As adult ESOL instructors, volunteers, program administrators, and community partners, we know that barriers impact our learners, classrooms, and programs. While we may not be able to eliminate every challenge, we can leverage the collective knowledge, experience, and creativity of our coalition to find better ways to navigate them, reduce their impact, and create opportunities beyond them.
Interactive sessions, collaborative conversations, and time to reflect on our practice will provide participants with opportunities to:
✨ Support — Explore practices and strategies that help learners, educators, and programs succeed.
🤝 Connect — Strengthen relationships, foster belonging, and build meaningful collaboration across the adult ESOL community.
🚀 Advance — Expand opportunities, leadership, innovation, and impact across our adult ESOL community.
Whether you are an instructor, program administrator, volunteer, tutor, or community partner supporting adult English learners, this conference is designed to provide meaningful learning experiences and connections you can bring back to your work.
Join us as we navigate Beyond Barriers—together.
Featured Workshops:
Full session descriptions will be available by September 28, 2026 at:
FYIs:
- Breakfast and lunch will be provided
- Free parking is available onsite
- Photographs will be taken throughout the conference. These may be used by MCAEL for future communications and marketing in our publications, on our website, and in social media.
Agenda
Registration & Breakfast
Welcome
Learner Panel & Peer Discussion
Sessions 1
Lunch
Sessions 2
Sessions 3
Reflection
Closing
Event venue & nearby stays
BlackRock Center for the Arts, Town Commons Drive, Germantown, MD, USA, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.