African Community Education Program

The African Community Education (ACE) Program is a non-profit community organization that was established to address the educational needs of African refugee and immigrant students now living and attending school in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

The students attending this program have come to the U.S. from nations suffering from war and political or social instability. As a result, these children were unable to engage in meaningful schooling during their childhood. When they arrive in the U.S., they are enrolled in school according to their age, rather than their actual level of education; thus, they are often years behind their peers in most subjects. Fortunately, many of these children are bright and motivated, and ACE seeks to draw on these strengths to close the gaps with their education. To meet the needs of this population, ACE has developed a Saturday program with formal STEM classes, a one-on-one tutoring and Mentoring program, as well as life skills courses and extracurricular activities, such as dance, soccer and art. We also offer after-school tutoring during the academic year, Monday through Thursday from 3pm to 6pm, a summer reading program, and a workforce development program. Lastly, we conduct a family and adult literacy program that includes ESOL and citizenship classes and we employ culturally competent outreach staff to do home-visitations with families and encourage parents to take an active role in their child's education.

The mission of ACE is to assist African refugee and immigrant youth and families in achieving educational and social stability through access to academic support, leadership development, cultural expression and community outreach in Worcester MA.

The vision of African Community Education is a community where African refugees and immigrant youth and families are empowered, self-sufficient and secure.

Our students come from many nations - but they have all come to learn, achieve, and succeed. At ACE, our goal is to help them achieve THEIR goals, by providing a safe and supportive environment for learning.

After School Program Description: This program combines homework tutoring and extracurricular activities to provide students in Grades 5-12 with support, learning opportunities, and structured activities during out-of-school hours. In order to participate in workshops and activities, students must be formally enrolled in the After-School Program and commit to attending regularly.

Summer Reading Program Description: The Summer Reading Program will run from 3pm to 6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for 4 weeks. The Summer Reading Program is for students in grades 5-12 and will have up to 60 students enrolled. Summer reading groups focus on reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and completion of required Worcester Public Schools reading assignments. Following the reading groups, students participate in an activity group of choice; options typically include dance, soccer, basketball or art.

Workforce Development Program Description: Through the Workforce Development Program (WFD), ACE provides students with skill-building workshops and education to help them fulfill their educational, volunteer and/or employment ambitions during and after graduation from high school. The program runs for 4 weeks in July on Monday and Wednesday from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Topics will include resume building, workplace etiquette, interviewing, time management, and similar soft skills. Students will be able to learn and practice these skills with hands on activities. Students will earn points based on progress and participation in class. Students with the highest point total will have the opportunity to work at ACE.