The Distance We’re Working to Close
That’s the gap LAPCAE exists to close. Each of those numbers represents a parish, a workplace, a family—someone who could earn a high school equivalency, start a credential, or move into a better-paying job if the right program reached them. For fifty years, LAPCAE has worked to strengthen the adult education programs that serve those learners, support the instructors who teach them, and make sure Louisiana’s policymakers understand what’s actually at stake. Closing this gap isn’t a side project — it’s the reason this organization exists. (Source: 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates)
Who We Are
LAPCAE is Louisiana’s professional home for adult, community, and public educators — a statewide association dedicated to advancing the field and the people it serves. We unite the profession, support our members through professional development and scholarship opportunities, and work to make sure Louisiana understands what adult education makes possible. From the classroom to the Capitol, LAPCAE connects educators, elevates the work, and champions the learners who depend on it.
For fifty years, that’s meant different things in different decades — a merger of two teacher associations in 1975, a name change in 1977, a transition from the Department of Education to LCTCS in 2010 — but the throughline has stayed the same: adult educators in Louisiana are stronger together than any one of them is alone.
What’s New with LAPCAE
Shop the LAPCAE Store
We’ve launched an adult education merch store—shirts, totes, and more —with new designs added regularly. Every purchase puts money directly back into the association: professional development, scholarships, and the day-to-day work of growing adult education across Louisiana. It’s a small way to wear your support for a field that doesn’t always get seen.
50 Years of LAPCAE
In our 50th year, we’ve gone back through five decades of archives — founding correspondence, convention programs, hundreds of photographs — to put together the fullest history of this association that’s ever existed in one place. See where LAPCAE started, who built it, and how far it’s come.
Get Involved
A few ways to support LAPCAE’s work this year.
- Register for the 50th Conference — Three days of sessions, practitioners, and recognition, built around the work happening in Louisiana programs right now. November 1–3, Baton Rouge. → Register Now
- Join or Renew Your Membership — Membership includes COABE — 50+ webinars a year, national conferences, a peer-reviewed journal, and a reduced conference rate. → Join Today
- Shop the Store — Every sale supports LAPCAE’s scholarships and professional development. → Visit the Store
- Follow Along — Find us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram for updates between conferences.
COABE Membership Benefit
LAPCAE membership automatically makes you a member of COABE, which represents 65,000 adult educators nationwide. That includes professional development through annual, state-of-the-art national conferences, more than 50 webinars a year, and a peer-reviewed journal.