ESL to Go is, well, going...

Since receiving funding for operating expenses in April 2012, the ESL to Go team and student body has grown so much. We are now operating classes out of three unique sites in Madison, TN and South Nashville, serving refugees from Burma, Somalia, Iraq, and Kurdistan. Our team consists of five dedicated teachers and three staff members who passionately work to make ESL classes available to the most vulnerable refugees.
Furthermore, we are so close to raising the money needed to purchase Tennessee's first Mobile ESL Classroom.
We are so thankful to the community for your continued support, encouragement, and inspiration.

Here are some snapshots of what we've been up to. Enjoy.

ESL to Go students from Somalia with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Gatluck Thach

Burmese women set up their new classroom held in a community leader's apartment



Many of these women are Kachin refugees from Burma. There are only 12 Kachin refugees resettled in Nashville.

Leah Hashinger, ESL to Go Program Manager, and Angie Harris, ESL to Go Director, pose with WPLN reporter, Blake Farmer. Farmer did a piece on ESL to Go for Nashville Public Radio.

New Teacher, New Students, and New Beginnings

New students from Burma, Somalia, Kurdistan, and Iraq are all beginning to fill the seats of ESL to Go's first classes, held at an apartment complex in Madison, TN.

The instructor and ESL to Go's newest team member, Ashley Ekers, is designing an ESL curriculum for the three distinct levels of our student body.

Ashley with a Level 2 student from Somalia

The aim of ESL to Go is to meet the individual needs of the students, and to build the class schedule and curriculum around those needs.

A beautiful family from Iraq. Both parents are enrolled in separate classes reflecting their varying English levels

This family from Burma attends Level 1a, or Literacy Level, classes together

It's fascinating for us to watch our new students adjust to their lives in Nashville. We are thankful for the opportunity to be able to give them the communication tools that are so necessary in making the transition to the U.S. successful.

Lights, Camera, Action!

On Saturday, the ESL to Go team met at Edmondson Manor Apartment complex--a site where we're hoping to bring the mobile classroom. News Channel 4 had contacted us about wanting to run a story on our concept, ultimately hoping to bring awareness to our cause.

News Channel 4 wanted to show their viewers the type of students who would benefit from our program, so we decided to go into the home of Ching Nuam, an elderly Burmese woman who opens her apartment to a weekly English class led by a volunteer teacher. Our excited group of Burmese mothers, along with their children, were camera ready.

Ching Nuam, far right, second row, sits with her granddaughters and fellow classmate.

Ashley Ekers, ESL to Go's Curriculum Coordinator, led an impromptu class for the camera.

We love how the piece turned out and are hoping that it will bring attention to our fundraising campaign.

Watch it here. What do you think?

We're (almost) Rolling

I always tell myself, in order get something done you have to begin by doing it.

Help us do it.

Our Video

We're thrilled to present our ESL to Go promotional video. We'll use this video to spread the word about our project and include it in our proposal to sponsors.

We're incredibly thankful to everyone who made this video possible, especially Percy, our director/editor/camera guy, who graciously volunteered his talents and time to this project. 

So, without further adieu, WATCH IT. 

Oh, and don't forget to check out the bloopers at the end. We think they're funny. 

Nashville Mobile Market's One Year Anniversary

Today, on an unseasonably warm Superbowl Sunday, a crowd gathered outside of the Edgehill Apartments to celebrate the Nashville Mobile Market's first year of service. Over a year ago, a group of Vanderbilt students saw the need to eliminate food deserts in Nashville and began dialogues with community leaders whose neighborhoods would benefit from their initiative. With the generous support of the Frist Foundation, the idea became a reality. Now, a year later, the Mobile Market visits food desserts throughout the city bringing fresh produce and healthy options to individuals who otherwise do not have convenient access to such goods.

Ladies from the Vanderbilt Coalition for Healthy Aging and 
Tennessee Foreign Language Institute showing their Support for the Mobile Market 

The success of the Mobile Market, and the support we have received from its founder, is one of the reasons why we believe in the success of a mobile ESL classroom.

Way to go Mobile Market team and the volunteers who put in 15,000 hours this past year!

The Best Advice

On January 19th, a scattering of Nashville's most influential individuals from resettlement centers, the public school system, and community organizations who provide services to refugees, joined ESL to Go for our first advisory committee meeting.

The enthusiasm from everyone present and the expressed desire and NEED for this initiative bred creative and thoughtful ideas.

Here are some of our favorites:
-Open resume writing workshops
-Getting the word out via Metro Nashville Public Schools radio announcements and school board meetings
-Work in collaboration with companies that employ a large number of refugees to help both sides, the employers and refugees, better understand each other's needs

This project is truly a community effort. We are thankful for the strong and supportive individuals who empower this community.