In this guest post, GEDTS Vice President CT Turner shares his thoughts on Pride and encourages us to be allies and advocates.

June is Pride Month. I occasionally hear questions and comments about what Pride month is, and questions about whether it is needed given some of the advancements in protections for LGBTQ Americans. So, to kick things off this month I’m sharing just a few personal thoughts on why I believe Pride is relevant and is needed as much as ever–and why I encourage you to participate in some way this month.

Pride is many things to different people. For some, it is a time to simply appreciate and celebrate who they are and recognize others like them. This year, as I’m celebrating Pride, I’m thankful for the fact that I can choose to live near my family in Missouri while having the legal protections of marriage, protection that I can’t be fired tomorrow for writing this post, that someone chose and entrusted us with raising our beautiful daughter 10 years ago, and that I have so many people in my life that I love and feel supported by.

I’m also celebrating the fact that I’m here to enjoy life, family, and friends. It wasn’t always easy getting to this place of authenticity, of feeling thankful, or having a strong sense of self-worth. When I was younger there were years where I didn’t think it was worth the struggle. I had nobody to talk to, no role models, not even a brave person who was out in my school or community. Constantly hiding who you are from everyone you love–your family, friends, church community–and always living in fear that someone will find you out takes a heavy mental, spiritual, and emotional toll. I’m only in a great place today because I was lucky enough to find others with similar struggles and stories in my 20s, then found non-LGBTQ allies along the way.

While I’m thankful and celebrating this month, I’m also very concerned about the future—and I’m not alone. This month you’ll see rainbow merchandise at big-box retailers, fun pictures of rainbow flags, smiling LGBTQ people celebrating, and silly fun parade floats; but know that under the smiles, rainbows and glitter is a community that is deeply worried about what the future holds for them.

Your LGBTQ community students, coworkers, friends, and neighbors have lots of things on their minds. While they are thankful for the progress over the last several years, they know that their rights to not be fired, denied housing, to have input on medical decisions for their partners, or marry the person they love isn’t even seven years old. They know that these rights could be easily wiped away for most of us by one different vote of the Supreme Court. They know that people from the LGBTQ community continue to be bullied, assaulted, and even murdered. In fact, despite the sentiment of progress, hate crimes have increased recently, and many anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in several states across the country.

A recent survey of LGBTQ youth found that 45% have seriously contemplated suicide within the past year, and as many as 1 in 5 trans or nonbinary have actually attempted suicide; 95% report having trouble sleeping at night; 73% experienced anxiety in the past year, and almost 60% experienced symptoms of depression—with rates higher in BIPOC communities. And LGBTQ youth are likely to experience homelessness and higher rates of substance abuse than their peers.

Many of these youth are our learners who may have had a very rough high school or family experience, and they may be going through tough situations right now with their living situations and families. All of this doesn’t even touch on the plight of our LGBTQ GED students across the world, who could be imprisoned or even put to death for being their authentic selves.

I share all of this to highlight the importance of Pride month, and to bring some visibility to this issue. Part of the reason I chose to work at GEDTS and in adult ed is because of the work we all do to help those who didn’t have the easiest path get back on track—I love to root for the underdog! If you’re in adult education, I bet you do too.

So here is my ask: This month, I encourage everyone to spend just a little bit of time learning more about the LGBTQ community. I’d wish for you to, in some small way, put yourself in another’s shoes. You can read an article, watch a video, talk to an adult student or someone in the Community, and/or explore some of the content and resources available online.

I think you’ll quickly realize that even doing seemingly small things can have an outsized impact. To many, a kind word, a small showing of support, or stopping a damaging joke could make all the difference–in fact, it may even save a life. And for the many strong allies who are reading this today and who support LGBTQ students every day, thank you!

LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Page and Other Ally Resources Can be Found Here: https://pflag.org/hotlines

-CT Turner, Vice President of GED Testing Service

Our annual conference is one month away, and we’re excited to see all of you in Atlanta.

During the conference, July 13th through 15th, we’re offering opportunities to network with fellow educators, Administrators, and the GED Testing Service team. We will also provide the latest professional development workshops and information sessions related to the GED test program.

Keynote Speaker

Our keynote speaker will be renowned author and NYU professor Daniel Lerner. He is a celebrated positive psychologist whose work is helping individuals fuel their work and life with passion. For over a decade, Daniel has been researching and applying positive psychology and how it impacts the performance of students, athletes, executives, and teams. He brings out the best in individuals by helping them strike a balance between stress and anxiety while discovering their strengths and a path to long-term success.

Professional Development Sessions

The annual conference is an opportunity for us to share insight on the best ways to prepare your students for the GED test subjects from who better but the creators of the test!

Our workshops and sessions will cover tips and strategies for teaching GED students, share some of the latest postsecondary outcomes data and student research and offer chances for you to ask the GED team your burning questions about the test.

The very popular Corrections track will also return this year with sessions designed to cater to the unique instructional needs of educators in the Corrections environment. In addition, we’re also launching the brand-new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) track with sessions dedicated to sharing inclusive learning techniques and other information to help you incorporate DE&I in your instruction and across your adult education program.

You can view some of the scheduled sessions and conference agenda here.

GED Graduate of the Year Awards

Each year, GED Testing Service recognizes several recent GED graduates for outstanding achievement with the GED Graduate of the Year award. During the awards luncheon, the inspirational graduates share stories about their GED testing journey, including the importance of their support system and the credential’s lasting impact as they pursue their personal and professional goals. We look forward to announcing and celebrating the achievements of this year’s winners at the conference!

These are just some of the highlights of what’s to come during the conference! We also encourage you to check out the many attractions, festivals, and events Atlanta has to offer. If you haven’t registered there’s still time to join us!

Sign up today, and we’ll see you in Atlanta!

The recently launched initiatives are focused on supporting learners from historically marginalized communities and are a key part of our organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

GED® Mentorship Program

In the Mentorship Program, adult learners are mentored by GED employees and stakeholders. With the support of mentors, they are developing their career and leadership skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. In addition, learners have a supportive community as they prepare for and take the GED test subjects, while mentors develop a greater understanding of learners’ backgrounds and their future personal and professional goals.

The program was created to serve learners from all backgrounds, focusing on learners from underserved areas. The pilot of this program was launched earlier this year in Montgomery County, Maryland, and will expand nationwide later this year.

More information about the program is available here.

GED® Community Partnership Program

In the Community Partnership Program, selected adult learners attending GED preparation programs are provided with access to laptops, tablets, GED Ready and GED test vouchers, one-to-one online tutoring, and online preparation tools, including Aztec Software’s GED Flash, Life Skills Education, A Tutor for TABE, Pre-GED, and GED Kaplan Prep Series.

GED Testing Service and Aztec Software selected the program’s first official partner, Made Men, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas. The organization offers GED preparation courses, a fatherhood program, life skills courses, workforce training, and is an authorized Pearson VUE test center.

Launched in late 2021, the GED Community Partnership Program is part of GED Testing Service’s DE&I strategy and ongoing commitment to creating equitable learning opportunities focusing on historically marginalized and underserved learners, including those from Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. This program aims to increase access while investing in community organizations that provide education, training, and other critical services.

The official press release announcement is available here.

News and updates for June 2022:

• Voucher Purchase Update: We will be retiring from the VUE Voucher Store later this year due to IE software changes. Instead, we would like to encourage you to make your voucher purchases on GED Marketplace. We have added Check/ACH payment methods to the existing Credit Card and Credit Terms payment options. As with Credit Terms, you will need to be logged in to your Marketplace account and meet a minimum order amount to take advantage of paying via a PO process. GED Ready and test vouchers are available on Marketplace now and more will be coming later this month.
• InSession will be on hiatus in July, we look forward to seeing all of you at the 2022 GEDTS Annual Conference.

News and updates for June 2022:

• Voucher Purchase Update: We will be retiring from the VUE Voucher Store later this year due to IE software changes. Instead, we would like to encourage you to make your voucher purchases on GED Marketplace. We have added Check/ACH payment methods to the existing Credit Card and Credit Terms payment options. As with Credit Terms, you will need to be logged in to your Marketplace account and meet a minimum order amount to take advantage of paying via a PO process. GED Ready and test vouchers are available on Marketplace now and more will be coming later this month.
• InSession will be on hiatus in July, we look forward to seeing all of you at the 2022 GEDTS Annual Conference.

News and updates for June 2022:

• Voucher Purchase Update: We will be retiring from the VUE Voucher Store later this year due to IE software changes. Instead, we would like to encourage you to make your voucher purchases on GED Marketplace. We have added Check/ACH payment methods to the existing Credit Card and Credit Terms payment options. As with Credit Terms, you will need to be logged in to your Marketplace account and meet a minimum order amount to take advantage of paying via a PO process. GED Ready and test vouchers are available on Marketplace now and more will be coming later this month.
• InSession will be on hiatus in July, we look forward to seeing all of you at the 2022 GEDTS Annual Conference.

The Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua, Hawaii, recently celebrated its first class of GED graduates through an innovative GED preparation program.

The program is a collaborative effort between Hawai’i Friends of Restorative Justice (HFRJ), the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), Windward Community College (WCC), College of Social Sciences University of Hawai‘i (UH), and McKinley Community School for Adults (MCSA).

The outcomes of this GED peer tutoring program after just 12 weeks of its application show its remarkable value for helping women continue their education. The program trains imprisoned women who have at least a high school education to become tutors for their peers studying for the GED test. Since the program began in earnest in November 2021, two cohorts of peer tutors (10 women total) have completed a 20-hour training program in cooperative education, which taught them how to engage students in hands-on learning. The second tutor cohort completed their training in early June. The tutors are paid, and financial incentives are offered for women to complete the GED credential.

To study for the GED test with a poor academic history is especially challenging. The women studying for the GED test subjects in this program were educationally assessed before entering the program, and most only test at the 4th to 6th grade level. However, with the encouragement of their peer-tutors, they begin to see themselves as capable of passing the test. About 30 women enrolled in the program who worked for innumerable hours studying for the test (one stopped for personal reasons but came back and is currently working on passing the GED test). While the incentives helped get the women into the classroom to begin studying, it was the tutors’ persistence and consistently applied academic assistance and inspiration that helped the women learn the material to pass the GED test.

Within three months, 15 women had passed their GED test subjects and earned credentials. In addition, the learners were able to test remotely with the launch of the Online Proctored GED test program. “The students trusted their tutors, and they built relationships,” said Lance Jyo, Vice Principal of the McKinley Community School for Adults – Moanalua Campus. “I also must give credit to the wardens and their commitment to seeing this program succeed at their facility. The project team had to think outside of the box, and now we’re talking about doing this same model for men.” The McKinley Community School for Adults provides education services for state correctional facilities.

At the commencement ceremony, 15 women were recognized for earning their GED credentials, with three more earning credentials since the ceremony. Gov. David Ige, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, and Rep. Linda Ichiyama were among the dignitaries in attendance. The program is actively training tutors for an additional cohort to help future graduates earn their credentials.

The key to the success of this program is all partners, Department of Public Services: Women’s Community Correctional Center, Hawai’i Friends for Restorative Justice, Windward Community College, College of Social Sciences (UHM) working collaboratively.

More information about the pilot program can be found in this recent article from Civil Beat.