The Oldest City, the Newest Updates: Reflections on ACE of Florida Summer Symposium 2026

St. Augustine Superlatives

If you're ever looking for a real-world setting for teaching superlatives, head to St. Augustine where the 2026 ACE of Florida Summer Symposium was held this past  week!

This was my first time visiting this town, and I set off from Canada one day early, eager to explore what I had heard was "the oldest town in Florida." 

Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century fortress built by the Spanish

St. Augustine is formally referred to as the oldest continuously occupied European-founded settlement in the continental United States. Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established the settlement on September 8, 1565.

While touring around the historic district, I soon learned some of the town's claims needed fact-checking! However, I came up with my own St. Augustine list of superlatives. This could be a fun game to play with your students in any town, including where you teach. 

St. Augustine Superlatives:

• best chocolate peanut butter cups: Whetstone Chocolates
• most fun popsicle shop: Hyppo (Can we say funnest?)
• tastiest tacos: A1A Burrito Works
• most delicious guacamole: Salt Life
• coolest beachwear shop: The Surf Stop 
• nicest rooftop patio: River Fort Restaurant & Rooftop.

At the rooftop patio, we also had the most scrumptious lobster flatbread served by the wittiest waitress who told us she had no need for the Fountain of Youth herself, but directed us where to go to find Ponce de Leon's healing waters. She also shared tips on the best beach for shell collecting (Vilano Beach). 

Old Senator in St. Augustine, located at Villa 1565

Adult Ed in Florida

At the ACE symposium, vendors exhibit in the same room where all the sessions take place. This is the most effective way to set up a PD event in ELT! Like all attendees, vendors need to stay on top of important updates and I was pleased to be able to attend every session while also manning the Ellii booth.

ACE Takeaways

Various speakers took the floor at the ACE of Florida Summer Symposium, including several representatives from the Florida Department of Education. The main purpose of these talks was to demonstrate the case for workforce education in adult ed. We learned about: 

• unemployment rates and causes (job leaver 13%, job loser 40%, entering/reentering workforce 46%)
• changing labor demand by level of education in Florida 
• top demand occupations in Florida (tractor trailer truck drivers, medical assistants, real estate agents, carpenters, mechanics...)
• the aging workforce (24% of the US workforce is 55+)
• skills expectations (by 2031, 72% of jobs will require some postsecondary education or training)
• untapped talent (1.8 million adults without a high school diploma in Florida)
• Title II Adult Ed MSG rate and success (needs improvement!)
• student retention challenges (transportation, childcare, motivation, work obligations) and strategies (constant communication, newsletters, rapport, bus passes, counseling, career exploration, flexible scheduling) 

"When we invest in adult learner upskilling to improve economic & career mobility, everybody wins."

~2026 ACE of Florida Summer Symposium

Interestingly, the day I returned back to my office, the savviest Product team (Ellii's!) released a new feature that is tied directly to data about student engagement: Class Announcements. We hope this new feature is useful in your schools and programs!

Ellii + Ventures

At the ACE symposium, we exhibited next to our partner, Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Regional Manager (CUPA) Jim Goldstone knows Florida well and was the wisest mentor and host! Jim introduced me to several directors and leaders in adult ed and I was grateful for his mentorship and industry knowledge. If you're interested in learning more about the most practical partnership in adult ed (Ellii + Ventures), please reach out. We are all excited for the upcoming release of the Ventures 4th edition books and related Ellii collections. 

The Embassy Suites & Attendees

This year's ACE symposium took place at St. Augustine's Embassy Suites, a beautiful resort on a beach next to the Anastasia State Park that goes far beyond what you can see. The ocean water was 82° and we could watch surfers catching waves during the built-in sunshine breaks. Like several attendees, I made a point of waking up a little early to catch the prettiest Florida sunrise. 

Embassy Suites, St. Augustine

The breakfasts, lunches, and poolside chats were excellent opportunities to learn firsthand from attendees about what's new and challenging in their state and programs. While I attended the sessions, the world's most productive Publishing team (Ellii's!) was already working on an outline for a new course that a director at ACE mentioned was lacking at her school.

Karla Galleguillos, National Program Specialist, and Pamela Jo Wilson, Case Manager, Palm Beach County School District

The hotel had friendly, efficient service and even offered free use of cruiser bikes, which I made use of to ship our exhibit contents off to the conference Ellii is attending next week—the CASAS Summer Institute in Orange County, California! 

Tara Benwell, VP of Publishing at Ellii

Ellii would like to wish a happy retirement to ACE Executive Director Julie Roberts and a warm welcome to Dave Barnes, incoming director. Thank you both for helping us feel so welcome at ACE!

We hope to see you in October at the 2026 Southeast Regional ACE Conference in Orlando!

~ Tara

PS. As a Canadian, I have to admit that the juiciest update I heard at the symposium was that the state of Florida will continue to offer free orange juice at the state border welcome centers. I think we may need a current events lesson on this!