We are always grateful for our incredibly dedicated volunteers, but during this unprecedented time we are truly amazed by the various ways volunteers are using their ingenuity and skill to support our students. Many of our classes are continuing to meet, thanks to teachers who migrated to online platforms in order to engage with their students. They maintain familiar routines in uncertain times. They begin classes by asking, “How is everyone doing?” They are sensitive to the unique struggles our students are facing.
For those who are hindered by the lack of access to technology, volunteers are providing resources and offering opportunities to practice English in easily accessible ways.
Would you like to join us in the effort to help our learners stay connected to their peers and learning-community and to keep up their English education during this difficult time? We are looking for volunteers who are interested and able to reach out and offer a hand to our learners. Here are a few ways you can volunteer without leaving the safety of your home:
- Walk students through the steps of signing up with our go-to remote learning apps and joining a course. LCNV would familiarize you with these tools.
- Connect with a student for conversation practice over the phone or on WhatsApp.
- Help with translation and interpretation (volunteers able to speak Amharic, Arabic, Korean, Dari/Farsi, Pashtu, Somali, and Vietnamese are especiallyneeded) to discuss the options available to students and identify the best solution for their needs and circumstances.
Now, more than ever, we see the vital importance of a population that can understand and communicate in English. With your help, we can continue helping beginning-level English learners develop their English proficiency while also building that important sense of community and belonging that is particularly fragile during social distancing. Thank you for helping us pursue our vision of a community empowered by the ability to speak, read, write, and understand English!
Be well and stay connected!
Amy Tristan
LCNV Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator