All of our lives have been interrupted by COVID-19. For the more than 600,000 immigrants with pending citizenship applications, it has meant a dream delayed. Thanks to supporters like you, dreams are coming true for students in The Immigrant Learning Center’s (ILC) citizenship classes, like Maria [pictured].
Maria, an immigrant from Cape Verde, enrolled in The ILC’s citizenship class in January, determined to pass the test. Our staff and volunteers were determined to help her. COVID-19 ended in-person classes in March, but not her dream. Kathleen Klose, The ILC citizenship teacher, quickly transitioned to remote learning. When Maria had trouble following written study materials, Kathleen started creating videos that Maria could watch on her phone to study for the test. Now, The ILC teachers are creating a whole series of videos on The Immigrant Learning Center’s YouTube channel that any immigrant, anywhere in the country, can use to learn English and prepare for their U.S. citizenship exam.
All their hard work paid off. Maria recently passed her citizenship interview and exam, and she’ll be sworn in July 24. “I’m excited because I love it, I love America,” said Maria. She’s looking forward to her drive-through citizenship ceremony. After the ceremony, Maria knows exactly what she’ll do to celebrate: register to vote!
This pandemic has created new challenges for immigrants and their allies, and we deeply appreciate the support that has empowered us to rise to the occasion. I hope you and your loved ones are and continue to be well.
Thank you, always, for your continued generosity,
Diane Portnoy
Founder and CEO
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.
Ensuring Quality Education For All
On July 8 and 9, more than 500 educators from 44 states attended our eighth free, annual Immigrant Student Success online workshop. It was our most highly attended workshop yet. We were thrilled to welcome Re-imagining Migration as co-hosts for the first time. Fourteen experts presented on timely topics like implicit bias, speaking up against prejudice and using your own stories to build relationships with immigrant students. The ILC makes all recordings and resources from our workshops and webinars free and available on our webinar page and YouTube channel. No-cost professional development for immigrant educators is a key way that we support immigrants and refugees, not just here in Boston but all across the U.S.
I loved it! Gave me life when facing so much uncertainty in the future with what’s going to happen with my students. I love these tools to educate those around me.
Ciara Che Callwood, Los Angeles, CA, 2020 participant
Journalist Jake Halpern discussed creating his nonfiction graphic novel, Welcome to the New World, about a family of Syrian refugees who landed on election day in 2016. It ran serially in the New York Times, inspiring readers and earning a Pulitzer. The ILC Public Education Institute and Jake have collaborated to create a curriculum to help immigrants and their teachers tell immigrant stories through graphic novels. Our online workshop participants were delighted to be informed that they would each get a copy!
The Immigrant Learning Center®, Inc. (ILC) of Malden, MA, is a not-for-profit organization that gives immigrants a voice in three ways. The English Language Program provides free, year-round English classes to immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston to help them become successful workers, parents and community members. The Public Education Institute informs Americans about the economic and social contributions of immigrants in our society, and the Institute for Immigration Research, a joint venture with George Mason University, conducts research on the economic contributions of immigrants.