The 12 programs selected as 1996 winners of the Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs illustrate a diverse range of promising practices for the 21st century. Winners were selected based on the presence of 10 elements, including the following: effective and potentially replicable practices; measurable objectives that are consistent with students' learning goals and the program's mission; a program environment that is appropriate and adaptable to adult learners' special needs; and successful strategies for recruiting and retaining students. The following were among the winning programs: (1) a second start program for disadvantaged adolescents and adults; (2) a consortium for worker education; (3) a youth internship program; (4) a basic skills program offered at a community college; (5) a General Educational Development (GED) program emphasizing transition options; (6) an adult high school; (7) a family literacy program; (8) a workplace literacy program; (9) a comprehensive adult education program for adults entering/reentering the job market, in- and out-of-school youths, and parents seeking to enhance their parenting and literacy skills; and (10) a regional adult learning center. Each program was profiled in a project overview containing descriptions of promising practices and special features, contact information, and a biographic sketch of a successful program graduate. (MN)