Since we started in 2021, we have worked with parents of English language learners in Silicon Valley schools (Menlo Atherton, Eastside College Preparatory in East Palo Alto) and with other area organizations (Familias Unidas in Redwood City) and currently partner with the San Mateo Foster City (SMFC) School District and the ReachSV Mompreneurs program.
This coming fall, we will continue to expand the program. We seek volunteers who can give one hour of their time, on zoom or in person, once a week for 10 weeks. Volunteers help our English learners to practice their English using our materials. They need not speak Spanish (although it is useful for working with absolute beginners). All that is needed is good will and a desire to invest in the often invisible Latinx workforce in Silicon Valley.The learners we work with are eager to work on practical, work-related English in order to reach their fullest potential and to help their children succeed. Our partners help us identify adults who want to practice workplace English, and we recruit volunteers to work with them creating rich connections between individuals and communities.We offer training and guidance for volunteers before we match them with Latino parents who want to improve their English. We need volunteers who are ordinary speakers of English to serve as "practice partners." Monolingual English speakers to a great job as practice partners. Spanish-speaking volunteers are only needed to work with absolute beginners.