ABCD North End/West End Neighborhood Service Center (NE/WE NSC) honored 60 students from over 25 countries for their success in completing the 2015/2016 Adult Education Program.
The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, serves students who live and/or work in the North and West End neighborhoods. The program offers three levels of weekday instruction-basic, intermediate, and advanced.
The NE/WE NSC shared the accomplishments of its students, and highlighted what a sound investment Adult Basic Education (ABE) and ESOL programs are.
For the 2016/2017 school year:
- Fifty-two out of sixty-four made academic gains validated by a standardized assessment.
- Ten students found a job or volunteered outside of the NE/WE NSC’s program.
- Five volunteered at the NE/WE NSC to build their skills.
- Ten students pursued High School Equivalency classes.
- Eight enrolled in vocational training for nursing, banking, hospitality, or entrepreneurship.
- Two enrolled in Bridge to College programs.
The ESOL program would not operate without volunteer power, especially Joanne Kelley, Elizabeth Phillips, and Aferdita Gora, as well as the student volunteers from Suffolk University. The center gratefully acknowledges Jaliyah Jones-Robinson, Sean Tallarida, Olivia Olbermann, and Collin Donnelly.
The program credits its lengthy community partners and stakeholders: the Career Navigator Yi Yi Lu, at the Asian American Civic Association; Bunker Hill Community College; Eagle Bank (Gisela DiPaola, Vice President); the North End Branch of the Boston Public Library; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition; North End Music and Performing Arts Center (Sherri Snow); North End Waterfront Health Center; The Old North Church (Rev. Ellie Terry); Roxbury Community College (Chelsea Clark); Suffolk University; and many others.
The Old North Church, Red Sox, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and the Paul Revere House provided tours to the students and helped them to acclimate to American culture and history.
