More than half of all the immigrants living in the U.S. are women and girls. As we continue our fight for equity and opportunity for ALL, it is critical that we ensure women new to the U.S. have the specific services they need to thrive. No less important is the need to connect, to feel like a part of their new communities. To feel like they are home.
The individuals we serve through our Vocational English Language Training (VELT) classes, come from all around the globe. The team adheres to what they call a strengths-based model for teaching. This service is about building a program based on the needs and goals of those we serve – making the work more than a service, it’s an investment into an entire community.
“That’s always the goal, to listen to our participants and provide the opportunities they seek,” said Hai Minh Nguyen, VELT Supervisor. “When women have opportunity, that means their children have opportunities. When women have opportunity, our communities have greater opportunities.”
For people like Liana, English isn’t just a critical element of that opportunity, it is the door that opens her life up to success. When she first moved here from Honduras, Liana only knew basic greetings and mannerisms. But she knew that coming to America was her opportunity to open up, to achieve even greater things.
“Here in the U.S., I feel that women can express opinions and people will listen. I believe the first thing to do when you come to the U.S. is to learn the language. It will open all the things you want.”
Karla came to the U.S. from Mexico, and has seen the benefits from the VELT team directly. She believes that the women she learns alongside every week are actively deciding to benefit not just themselves, but their entire community.
“I think for women, it’s a daily decision to be better for ourselves and our family,” Karla said. “The world can be a little cruel, and learning English is making a daily decision of courage and discipline. It can empower us.”
Empowerment, support, community – even as the VELT program had to transform itself into a digital platform during COVID-19, the teachers and tutors knew that these values had to continue to sustain the success of their students.
Francisco Echeverria is one of the VELT team’s longtime teachers. Every week, he comes together with Karla, Liana, and women from around the globe to talk about all types of topics in English – from culture and food, to love and family.
“These subjects have helped them open up to each other. We may have a language barrier, but in this work we come together in a safe and comfortable space.”
That safe and comfortable space is critical for Francisco and his VELT crew. It is how they ultimately create their strengths-based curriculum, and give the women in their class the chance to truly thrive. Teachers and tutors are delighted to see that success manifest in their students through newly-gained confidence.
Francisco’s class naturally formed into an all-women student-body over time, with people like Karla and Liana helping the newest students achieve that confidence. Newer students like Amal and MinHee both appreciate that sense of community – and hope to share it with as many other women as possible. Their advice for new immigrants coming to Chicago underscores that hope.
“Please love yourself,” said Amal, “If you love yourself, you can study and do anything.”
“And of course, it’s simple,” Minhee said. “Join us at Heartland Alliance!”
