The post is late, San Fransisco still is great
By Neil Ransom | June 15, 2008
So a few weeks ago I went to San Francisco for an interview weekend with Green Corps an environmental activism group that leads environmental campaigns throughout the US. The weekend interview included public speaking, canvasing, two personal interviews, a mock campaign planning, and a handful of social events. It turns out I did not get a position with Green Corps, but they did refer me for a job with the Fund for Public Interest Research (which I just interviewed with). So I guess the job part of the trip turned out to be successful (if the Fund offers me a job). Either way it was great to meet and mingle with environmental activists who are on the front lines fighting for the environment. I met one gal who organized the campaign to stop New Orleans from privatizing their water. Anyway, it was awesome.
The other great part of the trip was visiting my friend Heber and staying at his place in downtown San Francisco. It was so much fun to be right downtown and to be able to walk to some of the world’s tastiest restaurants (unfortunately I never made it to the Burmese restaurant) or take the BART to fantastic museums and parks. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I even liked the Amtrak train I took from Sacramento to San Francisco, although the food they offered was less than ideal. And finally to top off the trip I had dinner at my sister-in-law’s house in Sacramento before we all (my brother and his wife) climbed into the car and headed back to Utah.
Tagged with: berkely • green corps • interview • job • san francisco
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Multi-tasking if for the birds
By Kate | June 12, 2008
Do you ever just feel so busy that you take a few seconds to lay on the floor & wish you had some free time? Yeah, me too.
Tagged with: birds • multi-tasking • nap
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Graduation Parties
By Kate | June 5, 2008
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.
Tagged with: Americorps • Enlighs • Graduation • Immigrants • refugees
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My new hat from my fabulous husband
By Kate | June 2, 2008
Neil went to San Fransisco this weekend for an interview with Greencorps. He spent one day going to antique shops looking for a 1920s hat for me (a recent obsession). He found this 1950s retro hat that was copying the 1920s style.
What a great man!
Tagged with: antique hat • husband • neil • san francisco
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You’re not a racist
By Kate | May 29, 2008
Today we had a little graduation party for one of the English classes I organized for parents at an elementary school here in Salt Lake.
The students are so sweet.
They bought flowers for the volunteer who teaches the class, Laina. They just kept repeating how grateful they are to be taught and to have the class. We gave them certificates & dictionaries to study over the summer.
One of the moms turned to me and said, “We appreciate you so much. We love you, because you’re not a racist.” It was such a bittersweet compliment. It was so kind of her to say, but so sad that she has to suffer the racism of so many people. I wish those people could see how hard they try to learn English and to provide for their children. How grateful they are for simple things, and how openly they love.
Tagged with: Education • English class • refugee • training • volunteer
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