Help Oakland Thrive!
Poor immigrants in East Oakland have had little access to English instruction since the Oakland Unified School District cut funding for its Adult ESL program by 94% in 2010. Incredibly, so far no one has stepped
forward to fill the gap created by the funding cuts. Right now in our city, there are thousands of poor immigrants with zero access to ESL classes.
These immigrants need to improve their English for three main reasons: to get a job or a better job; to become citizens; and to communicate with their children and their children’s teachers. East Oakland is geographically
large and public transportation is expensive, so we aim to offer classes in various neighborhoods. Our first site will be Brookfield Elementary, an OUSD school located in the 98th Avenue corridor.
What We Need
We have figured out how to deliver a 12-week Intensive Basic English class for 35 students for only $1512. This includes salary for a professional ESL instructor plus all materials such as books and photocopying.
So, to make this happen, we need 151 people who care about Oakland to give just $10. And all contributions are tax-deductible!
After you donate, you can help even more by spreading the word. Please tell all your friends and associates about the important work we’re doing.
How It Works
We have a new, cost-effective approach to providing our learners with the tools they need to develop their English language skills. Instead of offering nine to twelve hours per week of classroom instruction, we’ve
reduced class time to four hours per week. To make up the difference, we assign extensive home practice including written homework. Class time is devoted to “front-loading” new material. This way, learners who are truly motivated can improve through their
own efforts.
Who We Are
EnglishWorks is a new, 501(c)3 nonprofit. We offer classes and tutoring to low-income immigrants of any ethnicity. Our teacher has a master’s degree in teaching ESL and more than twenty years’ experience teaching
ESL to adult immigrants.
What You Get
Of course, we’ll send a receipt for your tax-deductible contribution. And so you’ll know how much your gift is appreciated, we’ll send you a photo of the class you helped make possible. We’d also love to thank
you publicly on our Facebook page.
