Thursday, April 21, 2011

Integrating a community: Hispanic Ministry reaches out to teach, advocate

These people know English fluency is necessary before immigrants can be fully assimilated. And now they are helping their community learn English. - - Donna Poisl

by Jane Newton

Galenians Connie Basso and Janet Post saw a need for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in the community while working at the United Churches' Clothes Closet on Main Street.

Post, a former ESL teacher at Highland Community College, greeted a former student of hers who walked into the store. She hadn't seen this student in awhile because ESL classes had been canceled due to funding cuts at the college.
"He asked me when classes were going to start again," said Post.

Post didn't have an answer for him. She was willing to teach again, she just needed a place to do it. Basso thought that St. Michael's Catholic Church should provide ESL classes as part of the Hispanic Ministry at the church.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

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