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Date: 1/17/2023
AMHERST – The Jones Library recently received a $121,000 grant over two years from the United States Citizenship and Integration Services (USCIS), a department within the Department of Homeland Security. The grant will fund classes teaching English to older immigrants with the eventual goal of achieving U.S. citizenship.
Lynne Weintraub, the ESL/Citizenship coordinator for the Jones Library said that this year USCIS decided to try something new with its grant funding, which led to the library receiving the grant.
“USCIS has grants for programs that provide citizenship preparation, and this year, in addition to just citizenship preparation classes they’re also funding what they call ‘Innovations.’ This is funding that is aimed at helping students who may have gotten left out in the past, who need some kind of special assistance in order to become citizens. That’s what I’m [teaching],” Weintraub said.
The curriculum will be tailored to its target demographic. It will be available to similar educators nationwide as an example of how to teach older immigrants English.
“The way that the grant here is structured is we will be offering classes for older, beginning level immigrants and sort of field-testing curriculum that’s age-friendly and designed for that group. I’ll be finalizing that curriculum an sending it out to anybody in the country that wants curriculum materials for working with older immigrants to help them with citizenship and also just civic integration, meaning helping them learn enough English so they can get around in the community and participate,” Weintraub said.
Although the course’s eventual goal is citizenship, Weintraub said that this may not be possible after just taking her class. It is more of a stepping stone to get a grasp on basic English; a conventional citizenship preparation class may be necessary after taking her instruction.
“It’s really meant for people who have no English whatsoever. We’re aiming for citizenship but I’m not making any promises that this class will get them there. The curriculum is called ‘First Steps,’ and this is the first step in becoming a citizen, but it would take more than my class to get them there, probably,” Weintraub said.
The class already exists, but is only offered twice a week, making it hard for many to attend. The grant funding may allow Weintraub to expand the program and cater to a larger audience.
“Right now we are offering such a class. The funding is going to allow us to expand it so there are more hours and I am trying to recruit more students right now. Currently it’s on Tuesday and Friday afternoons but that may change depending on when potential new students can make it,” Weintraub said. “But you want to know something really surprising? I’m having trouble getting students because UMass [The University of Massachusetts] is recruiting them to work in its dining services. We’re talking about people in their 70s who speak no English…I’m happy for them, but I’m also really sad that I can’t provide them with the help that they need to get to that next step. It’s just a matter of scheduling, I’m not mad at UMass.”
Classes are free, but those interested in taking it must contact the Jones to set up their enrollment.
“[To sign up for classes, prospective students] have to have an intake appointment with me so that I can establish that they are really beginning level and that they are permanent residents because the funding requires that, and make sure that they can come to class when we’re offering it. But even if they can’t, as long as they can get to Jones Library I can still get them a 1:1 tutor. Right now that’s what I’m doing with the people that are working at UMass and can’t make it to my class,” Weintraub said.
Weintraub currently designs the curriculum and teaches classes by herself, but the grant may change that.
“Right now, the program is a one-man show. I am looking to hire a co-teacher to do some of the teaching once I expand the hours of the class; I can’t extend the hours until I know what schedule would work for the most potential students, and I don’t have those potential students yet,” Weintraub said.
One use of the grant might be to pay a co-teacher’s salary.
Weintraub encouraged all who may benefit from the class to enroll.
“We now have a program for beginning-level, older immigrants (over 50 years old) who would like to begin learning English. The class is easy, it goes at a moderate pace, it’s fun and people will learn beginning conversation skills, beginning literacy, make new friends, learn about the community and it will get them on the first step to becoming a citizen,” Weintraub said.