IRC in Sacramento celebrates the one-year anniversary of its volunteer ESL program

 
English is a daunting language to learn, especially when you’re a newly resettled refugee with limited ESL options in your community. Since May 2011, a team of dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly with local IRC Sacramento staff to deliver high quality, free ESL instruction to refugees resettled by the IRC.
 
Pilot model classes began with eight refugee clients, and have since grown to serving upwards of 40 clients, employing three TESOL certified volunteer instructors who teach literacy, beginning, and intermediate level English. In addition to our incredible teachers, the program is also supported by a dedicated group of 25 volunteer tutors who donate two nights a week to supporting our ESL curriculum.
 
The program owes much of its continued success to program coordinator Leanne Cameron, and instructors Bill Sewell, Jean Adama and David Polster, who have not only taught students every Monday and Wednesday evening for the last year, but also donated program materials, developed curriculum and coordinated volunteer tutors.
 
We look forward to reporting more exciting milestones  to the Sacramento community as we continue to expand the services we offer to newly resettled refugees.
 
If you are interested in helping out with our ESL program, please contact Sheena.Lennie@Rescue.org for more information.