National education association of the United States. Department of adult education

Adult Education Association of the United States (AEA-USA)

The AEA-USA was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in May 1951 as the result of the joint efforts of the American Association for Adult Education (supported by the Carnegie Foundation) and the Department of Adult Education of the National Education Association. These two organizations dissolved in 1951 and their memberships joined to form the membership of the new organization with offices in Chicago, Illinois. The purpose of the organization was to unite all professional and non-professional adult educators in a single national organization to facilitate communication in the emerging field of adult education. In accordance with this goal the AEA formed the subsidiary Council of National Organizations for Adult Education (CNO) in 1952 in order "to establish closer communication and exchange of experience between organizations and individuals working in different fields."

Gradually the goals of AEA-USA expanded to encompass all activities designed "to further the acceptance of education as a process continuing through-out life; to afford opportunities to professional and non-professional adult educators to increase their competence; to receive and disseminate information about adult education; to promote a balanced development of educational services for adults; and to cooperate with adult education agencies internationally." In order to lobby effectively for the moral and financial support of adult education, the offices of the organization were moved to Washington, D.C., in 1964.

AEA-USA offered general, student, professional, and organizational memberships. Member services included periodicals, special publications, field service, consultation, reference services, and the membership directory. Standing committees included Annual Nominations and Elections, Membership and Field Services, Publications, Social Philosophy, Finance and Development, and Legislative Policy. The wide areas of AEA interest were also reflected in its commissions and sections. Commissions included the Commission on Research in Adult Education, the Council of State Associations, the Commission of Professors of Adult Education, and the Commission on Adult Basic Education, while sections included Armed Forces Education and Training, Community College Adult Education, Correctional Institutions, International Affairs, Liberal Adult Education, and Religious Adult Education, among others.

Other activities of the organization included a clearinghouse of information, a referral center, an annual national conference, publications, and its commissions, councils, and special sections, which conduct research and hold workshops. The two regular publications of the association were Adult Leadership (monthly) for general members and Adult Education (quarterly) for professional members.

American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE)

In 1982, the AEA-USA merged with the National Association of Public School Adult Educators (NAPSAE) to become the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE), which is the name under which the organization operates as of this writing. The AAACE's mission statement is "to provide leadership for the field of adult and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development; unifying adult educators; fostering the development and dissemination of theory, research, information, and best practices; promoting identity and standards for the profession; and advocating relevant public policy and social change initiatives."

AAACE maintains seven commissions that represent general areas of interest in the field (e.g. International Adult Education, Adult Basic Education and Literacy), and twenty-six units that represent specific focus areas (e.g. Correctional Institutions, GED Test Administrators, History and Philosophy of Adult Education, Religious Education, Special Learning Needs, Women's Issues, Status, and Education). As of this writing, AAACE continues publication of Adult Education Quarterly and also publishes a second, practitioner-oriented journal, Adult Learning .

[June 2007]