Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas awards Delia Watley with the 2023 Pillar Award and Student Zahra Alrekabi with recognition of the TWC Scholar of the Year Award.

Leading by example and from the HEART. Adult Education Director, Delia Watley, receives the First Ever Heartcore Award at the 2023 Irving ISD Convocation.

Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas honors Irving ISD with the 2022 Empowering Adult Learners Award at their monthly Board Meeting.  This award recognizes Irving ISD’s significant contributions to adult education and their goal of preparing students for the workplace through increased literacy and employability training.

Delia Watley, Program Manager of the Adult Education and Literacy program, was chosen to serve on the Executive Board of The Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE) as Vice-President. TALAE was formed in 1968 and their purpose is to promote the development of a comprehensive education program for adults in the State of Texas, to promote and encourage the professional growth of educators in the field of literacy and adult education, to promote the exchange of ideas and collaboration among professionals, volunteers and organizations at all levels in the State of Texas and to collaborate with local, state, regional and national organizations interested in literacy and adult education.

Delia Watley, Program Manager for Irving ISD's Adult Education and Literacy (AEL), is the recipient of the Dyer Pearl Literacy Award presented at the Barbara Bush Foundation’s National Summit on Adult Literacy.

The Barbara Bush Foundation’s Dyer Pearl Literacy Award recognizes organizations and individuals who exemplify:

• Strong and successful community collaborations;
• Successful and/or scalable programs in family, adult, and/or child literacy; and
• Best practices in adult literacy

The Irving ISD AEL program (member of the Dallas County AEL Consortium, Workforce Solutions, Greater Dallas) was also highlighted in the National Action Plan to combat low adult literacy during the National Summit on Adult Literacy in Washington DC where Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States delivered inspiring remarks. For more information, read the press release. 

Irving ISD’s Adult English and Literacy Academy along with the program director, Delia Watley, received a special recognition from Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas during the organization's board meeting. The initiative was awarded the “Trailblazer” award for its success in educating adults in the Irving community. Irving ISD’s Adult English and Literacy (AEL) Academy is a program that emphasizes basic skills such as reading, writing, math, English language competency and problem-solving. The program is supported by a Texas Workforce Commission grant provided by Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas.

The program’s success includes:

650 adult participation
89% of students are parents of children who attend Irving ISD; 10% percent are employees of the district; 1% are community members
7  students passed the citizenship test
10 students are taking the GED practice exam
4 students have been hired or promoted for a job

Delia Watley, Program Manager of the Adult Education and Literacy program, was chosen to serve on the Executive Board of The Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education (TALAE). TALAE was formed in 1968 and their purpose is to promote the development of a comprehensive education program for adults in the State of Texas, to promote and encourage the professional growth of educators in the field of literacy and adult education, to promote the exchange of ideas and collaboration among professionals, volunteers and organizations at all levels in the State of Texas and to collaborate with local, state, regional and national organizations interested in literacy and adult education.

Students from the Irving ISD English Literacy and Civics classes received the STAHLS Clothing and Textiles certification which includes a 13-week long course that helps adults improve their English literacy skills while learning skills for the heat printing apparel industry. Armed with new knowledge, graduates have a better chance of starting their own business. The Entrepreneurial Program is a collaborative effort between Irving ISD's Adult Education and Literacy program, the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and STAHLS.  This Integrated Education and Training Program (IET) was made possible by supporting partners which included the Dallas County Community College District and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas.