Maplewood English as a Second Language
The ESL tutoring program at the Maplewood Community Library continues to thrive. While a number of program ‘graduates’ have moved on to bigger and better employment and educational opportunities, many continue to return to the program to visit their tutors, and even, in one case, to offer his services as a substitute teacher! New students continue to find their way to the class and program leaders have recruited a new tutor to assist with increased attendance. Currently there are around fifteen regular attendees.
Spanish Lunch and Language
The Senior Hispanic Book Club is a partnership between Catholic Family Center’s Star Senior Services Program and the Lincoln Branch Library. The program has four volunteers and approximately seven participants and meets the first and third Saturday of the month. At the start of the program eight new library cards were issued to the seniors. Everyone checked out at least one book and has come back for more.
GED in the Rochester Public Library
This spring, GED classes were offered through the Rochester City School District’s Office of Adult and Career Educational Services (OACES) at the Lyell Branch and Maplewood Community Libraries. The distance learning classes were enhanced with support from a teacher at the library six hours a week. GED classes were also offered by BOCES #2 through a distance learning model at the Sully Branch Library. AmeriCorps VISTA members and Adult Education Consortium members designed the programs to support students by locating classes in the students’ own neighborhoods, and provided opportunity for students to learn according to their own schedule. Enrollment at the Lyell and Maplewood programs totaled 51 students. So far three students have received their GED and two more are approved to take the exam.
