As I reflect on 2023 and our path in 2024, there are a few things that are clear. As service and program providers, we need to respond to where and who people are, understand what they bring to the table, and include them in building solutions. It’s incumbent on us, as we strive to meet our missions, that we’re intentional as to the why, how and what of our actions.
The ESL Network has been a working group of La Colectiva since 2019 and includes a diverse group of ESL providers working in a variety of settings across Sussex County. The network identified the need for gap programming and worked for more than a year to identify needs, survey potential students, and design solutions. While much more work remains to support the needs of our communities in the area of English language acquisition, we are happy to report being able to implement both in-person and online classes to serve our communities as gap programming and feeder classes into other advanced options.
These classes, as well as ESL for Citizenship, and Spanish Literacy, are being implemented at La Esperanza as part of a Pathways to Literacy approach. This approach is a direct response to what people in our communities say that they need. Language and literacy, in addition to immigration status and work permission, present the biggest obstacles that people face in pursuing opportunities to grow and succeed.
We’re excited to share how we’re incorporating formal ESL assessment into our citizenship classes, to ensure that our students are more prepared for the citizenship application and interview. Over this past year, we have been able to see a 95% success rate for our new citizens. We hope that you will join us as we celebrate their success at our annual Immigration Celebration on March 15th from 5-7 p.m. at DTCC Owens Campus in Georgetown. We will have food, music, and hear directly from new citizens about their experiences. Your registration is free. Register today! givebutter.com/2024celebration
Jen