Graduation Parties
For the past two weeks I have been putting on little graduation parties at the different elementary schools where I organize English classes for the parents. This is the project I have been working on as an Americorps volunteer for the English Skills Learning Center, a private non-profit in Salt Lake. The idea is to integrate the parents into the school system by delivering English classes to them where their children attend school & forming partnerships with the school administrators etc.
These parents are so impressive to me. Whether you’ve been in the US for a few months or many years, it’s difficult to learn English. Couple this with the fact that many of our parents have little or no education in their home country (some are not literate in their own language) & their progress is amazing. These parents are making the effort to learn English so that they can help their children succeed and so that they can improve their lives.
They meet with a volunteer tutor, at their children’s school, twice a week. The classes are small & tailored to the specific needs of the parents. They have lessons on basic communication & what we call “survival English,” things like how to make a doctor’s appointment or how to tell if a letter that comes in the mail is important v. junk mail. The students develop a strong bond with the volunteer teacher & are so grateful for the help they receive.
I have had the opportunity of teaching & filling in for many of the classes & have come to love these hard working, sincere parents. Many of the parents are refugees, the others are immigrants (many of whom I consider to be economic refugees). One man told me when I asked him about his childhood that he began working full-time as a 5 year old in Mexico. He said, “it wasn’t that bad. It was traveling alone that I really didn’t like.” He is now a single dad with three children that he reads to as much as he can in English so that they can be successful. I am amazed by thier dedication and effort despite the fact that many of them work multiple jobs or night shifts.
Their stories break my heart, but their courage gives me strength.
What a wonderful experience. Keep up the great work, Kate!
PS: Can I sign up for the important vs. junk mail class? Sometimes I feel like I need to be a certified fraud examiner just to tell the difference.
Comment by jph3 — 6 June 2008 @ 9:59 am
If I knew the difference between the important & junkmail classes… you’d be in the uber-important class. Is it a setting?
Comment by Kate — 6 June 2008 @ 12:23 pm
Good for them for trying so hard to better their lives and the lives of their kids.
I once remember a high schooler who wrote a research paper (she shall remain anonymous, but her initials are “K.K.”).
Her thesis was that all immigrants should learn English, that their inability to speak kept them at poverty levels.
That very wise student quoted one immigrant father who said “You let my kids speak in Spanish in schools and they become janitors and farm workers. I teach them English so they can be doctors or lawyers or anything they can dream.”
Thanks for helping them live the dream!
Comment by Momalicious Kelly — 6 June 2008 @ 4:54 pm
What amazing work you are doing! You two are quite the power couple!
Comment by Emily — 8 June 2008 @ 4:48 pm
What an intersting blog! I loved reading about all you’ve done - and I love the new hat! Thanks - I’ll be back.
Comment by Nan — 11 June 2008 @ 3:56 pm