We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 GED Conference in sunny southern California, where you can immerse yourself in educational inspiration alongside the cool waves of the Pacific Ocean. This year’s event will be grander than ever on all levels – more innovation, more ways to connect, more educational initiatives and programs to discover – and we’re just getting started!

We are glad to share that Early Bird Registration is now open at the rate of $495.00 until March 29, 2024; registration will then increase to $555.00 until sell out.

Join us for learning, inspiration, and new perspectives. Here are some of the innovative sessions for this year’s annual conference include:

• Train the Trainer session for the first time in 5 years! This will be especially useful for professionals in our new states and a great reminder for our seasoned educators.
• Integrated Education and Training programs to address workplace partnerships, apprenticeships, and marketing opportunities for programs at the local level.
• Learn about the GED Mobile app, how to navigate this new powerful tool, which will be extremely helpful to our learners.
• Spanish-language sessions ranging from Introduction to the GED to Math and Reasoning Through Language Arts/Extended Response Content Sessions.
• Two GED Analytics sessions for instruction for basic and power users.
• Be inspired by GED Graduate of the Year awards – by the stories of strength and resiliency of our 2024 GED graduates.

As always, we welcome attendees of all abilities. GED Testing Service is dedicated to creating a culture with a sense of inclusion, respect, and support, embracing individuals of all backgrounds. This year, we will have a sensory friendly room that will be accessible to all.

This Spring you will see a new layout of the Admins and Educator section of the GED website. The reasoning behind this revamp was to create a version that is more intuitive, easier to navigate and reflects a design that parallels the main GED.com homepage. Most importantly, all existing content will remain but may be recategorized. If pages have been removed, it is because they were found to be outdated. Your previously bookmarked URLs will automatically redirect – no worries about losing your most visited pages.

While it may take a bit of relearning to navigate this updated layout, know that user input and research were central to the process. Please take some time to explore the new webpage.

At GED® Testing Service, we thrive on empowering people’s lives through education. A great example of how we celebrate Women’s History Month is the GED Community Partnership Program with the Houston Tutorial Association and the Mission of Yahweh, a non-profit community organization that primarily serves women in Houston.

The Houston Tutorial Association provides Houston area students with exceptional services based on a core of founded study skills training and instruction. They focus on students’ academic challenges, encouraging and challenging students in their endeavors. From private tutoring to group courses, the Houston Tutorial Association can help students gain independence academically. Their services are available at the student’s home, school, or a preferred public location.

The Mission of Yahweh is a shelter that has been empowering, enriching, and restoring the lives of homeless women and children, providing outreach services to communities in need since 1964. It offers many life-changing programs focused on ending the cycle of homelessness and dependency, including educational and vocational support, an emergency shelter, and a transitional living program.

GED Testing Service launched this GED Community Partnership last year with its first cohort of ten Mission of Yahweh participants. These young women were assigned a mentor to help with leading the project efforts, as well as providing on-site access to resources, including computer laptops, in-person tutorials, and weekly accountability, supporting the program plan and desired outcomes. The impact of initiatives, such as this one, becomes even more evident when we receive initial reactions from a participant, “Y’all would do this for me? I’m so thankful. Graduating from this program will help me and my family in so many ways.”

“As I oversee the curriculum instructional support, program design and logistics, I find
immense reward in knowing that our efforts are empowering these women to reach their
educational goals and beyond, ” said Sophie Muhlherr, GED Mission Of Yahweh Director of Instructional Oversight, Houston Tutorial Association Managing Director of Programs

Ali Bobo, the Primary Instructor at the Mission of Yahweh, said, “I believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness, and it’s heartwarming to see the dedication and enthusiasm these women bring to their studies. They are mothers, daughters, and sisters working hard to provide a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

Adora Beard, GED Testing Service State Relationship and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager said “the GED Community Partnership with The Mission of Yahweh is inspiring and we are in anticipation of celebrating with the program’s participanting students that will soon become GED graduates. We look forward to following the success stories of more program participants and cheering their efforts and accomplishments.”

As we celebrate National Women’s History Month in March, I want to honor the successes and sacrifices of our U.S. women. The origin of this celebration dates to March 8, 1857, when hundreds of women from New York City garment and textile factories rallied to protest harsh working conditions. 52 years later, in 1909, New York City became the site of the nation’s first Women’s Day celebration, a year after 15,000 women marched to demand shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor, and the right to vote. More than seven decades later in 1981, Congress set aside the second week of March as National Women’s History Week. Six years later, Congress expanded the week to a month. Celebrating Women’s History Month, we reflect on women’s advances, including increased earnings, educational attainment, and job opportunities.

While we continue with our busy lives, I want to take a moment to reflect on the contributions of other women who have gone before us so we can have the opportunities we now have. This includes the suffragettes, who fought tirelessly until finally, in 1920, women in the USA were granted the right to vote. This is especially meaningful this year in the USA, with our upcoming presidential elections this November.

Some data that might be of interest when we talk about the impact and significance of women in our country:

• there were 168 million and about 165 million males in the United States as of July 1, 2022.¹
• 3 million females aged 16 and older participated in the civilian labor force, comprising 58.6% of the population.

Here at the GED Testing Service, we know that 50% of our learners are women; their average age is 23, and they are parents. In celebrating women this March, I want to specifically honor women in education, where 74.3% of all teachers are women, and, 67% of adult educators are women.

This month let’s rally to do our part in celebrating women, by supporting women’s causes, women-owned businesses, authors, and educators. Let’s honor and celebrate each other and stay informed of issues still facing women of all ages, including our learners.

“Women’s history is a woman’s right – an essential, indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision.” – Dr. Gerda Lerner, a pioneer in the field of women’s history.

¹ based on US Census data. For more information visit census.gov.