Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester
Providing English language proficiency for Economic Security
Fall 2023 ESOL Classes: September 25 – December 2, 2023
(10-week courses in person and online)
In person registration 8/28/2023 — 9/20/2023
Registration Hours
90 Madison St. 303a M – F 9 am – 1 pm 3
Salem St. Room 332 M – F 11 am – 5 pm
(To help you succeed in learning, staff will register you and help you access LVGW WhatsApp class group, email and/or Zoom on your cell phone )
Update: Pre-enrollment has ended. In-Person Registration will start on August 28 and end on September 20. Read more about the class schedule and registration information.
LVGW offers 10-week ESOL classes in Fall 2023 (September to December). English classes are offered at Survival, Beginner, and Intermediate levels Classes are taught by our experienced and dedicated ESOL teachers. If you are interested in pre-enrolling LVGW Fall ESOL Classes, please sign up now. The office will contact you with more information.
Good morning, LVGW Teachers and Volunteer Tutors – I’m very excited to share this message on behalf of our Board of Directors. Best regards, Patrice Keegan
A Message from the Board of Directors:
Welcoming LVGW’s New ED!
It is with great pleasure that we announce LVGW’s Program Manager Pingsheng Chen has been promoted to the role of Executive Director.
Just two months ago, Ping joined LVGW after retiring from a 28-year career at the Worcester Public Library. Prior to working as a reference librarian and division head of Public Services for WPL, Ping lived in China where she taught English. Outside of work, Ping enjoys cooking, gardening and time with family including her grandson, Teddy.
When we met Ping, we knew she was the right person to lead LVGW. She has already made many valuable contributions to our organization and we know she will thrive as ED.
We appreciate the time of the Board’s executive committee involved in this search process, which began last fall. We are grateful to our interim ED Patrice Keegan and Program Associate Raquel Mota-Hayes for their continuing dedication to a smooth transition process. And finally, we thank our tutors and teachers for their patience and commitment to providing uninterrupted educational services during our search for a new ED.
Sincerely,
The LVGW Board of Directors
Back to School for LVGW 2022 – Help LVGW Fill the Shelf!
We are in need of some specialty chapter books for adult early readers including some with embedded recordings. Our goal is to get enough books for tutoring sessions and some extra multiple copies for our students to take home to their families to share. Let’s promote personalized literacy tutoring programs that our students’ children can benefit from too! Many of our adult students have a tutoring goal to have the ability to help their children with their homework for the school year. You can make a difference today! Click the donate button above or you can mail your donation to : Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester, 3 Salem Square Suite 332, Worcester MA 01608.
Thank you for your generosity and support of our programs! If you need assistance in donating, contact us at info@lvgw.org
During the month of July , Redemption Rock brewing company in Worcester is donating their taproom tips to LVGW. Please encourage all of your friends, family and colleagues to visit Redemption Rock taproom at 333 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA ( Entrance on Putnam Lane)in July.
Current Hours: Sun: 11 am-9 pm; Mon-Tues: 2-9 pm; Wed: 11 am-9 pm; Thurs-Sat: 11 am-11 pm. Thank you for your support!
The LVGW new mission statement is To provide social and economic empowerment through culturally compassionate English language education
“For the first time since I arrived [in the US], I felt part of this community, sharing with people like me,…and that really motivated me to keep growing.” This is how Maya, an English language learner, described her first experience with LVGW’s classes.
Throughout the past few months, we have remained committed to our students, and we have transitioned to distance learning for both classes and tutoring.
We need your help to sustain these vital services.
Hear from volunteers and students, including Maya, about what LVGW means to them:
Everyone has a story to tell. The Worcester Women’s Oral History Project collects, preserves, and shares the stories of Worcester women including the stories of immigrants who have lived in Worcester for many years and have established themselves as doctors, entrepreneurs, teaches, and directors of nonprofit organizations. This year WWHOP has collaborated with five Worcester organizations that work with immigrants and refugees in order to gather stories of women who have more recently emigrated from a variety of countries, including Colombia, Algeria, Brazil, China and Burma. Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester was one of the five collaborating nonprofits and we invite you to join us. Print out attached flyer and rsvp to WWOHP today.
WWOHP and LVGW December 5 2017 Event Flyer
We and our students were honored to collaborate with WWOHP in recording these stories and look forward to sharing the experiences with you! Please join Worcester Women’s Oral History Project and Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester in celebrating the completion of these immigrant women stories at the public event on 12/5/17.
Immigrant and Refugee Stories of Worcester Women
Tuesday, 12/5/17, at 5:30 pm
Worcester Public Library, Saxe Room
free and open to the public – refreshments will be served
rsvp mryandoyle@aol.com or chmartin@townasp.com
Amanda Addeo, Unum disability benefits specialist in Worcester’s Benefits Center, says volunteering with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester is good for the soul.
Inside: When did you start volunteering?
Amanda: In high school, I was a member of several student organizations where we volunteered around Worcester.
Inside: Why do you volunteer?
Amanda: My motto is “my day-job pays the bills but volunteering feeds my soul.” It’s important for me to be an active member of my community and give back whenever possible, but it’s also
rewarding to see the ripple effect that comes with volunteering. Through my volunteer work, I’ve developed new skills, networked and made great friends, all while helping others. Volunteering can also be a meditative practice that helps you gain a deeper perspective of how communities connect with people.
Inside: What organizations do you volunteer for?
Amanda: I’m volunteering with Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester (LVGW) as a literacy tutor and member of the board of directors right now. In the past, I volunteered with Worcester State University and South High School for Massachusetts Education & Career Opportunities, Inc.’s College Success Institute. I would work with high school juniors and seniors to prepare them for college and beyond.
Inside: What does your volunteer work at LVGW look like?
Amanda: We help adults refine their literacy skills. We teach immigrants, refugees and adult basic-literacy students to read, write and speak English. Participants range from those learning English for the first time to citizens and residents of the community who are functionally illiterate or unable to manage daily living and employment tasks that require skills beyond an elementary level. Each tutor is matched with a student for weekly tutoring sessions. My tutee, Libo, is a young woman from China. She studied some English in China where she attended college, but ended up moving to the United States when her husband enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Every Friday, Libo and I meet at a coffee shop and focus on conversation, pronunciation, reading and writing. There was a significant cultural exchange that took place as well. We talked about history, politics, cultural norms and traditions – both American and Chinese.
Inside: Do you have a favorite memory or story from volunteering?
Amanda: When Libo and I started working together she was very quiet and isolated herself from the fast-talking American lifestyle. We began with restaurant menus and transitioned to reading Hemingway and Kafka. As her English improved, her confidence did too. Libo, now funny and social, is not just a tutee but my friend. Libo welcomed the birth of her first son and lovingly calls me his auntie.
Inside: What advice would you give to others who are considering volunteering?
Amanda: Volunteering breaks barriers like illiteracy. Whether you volunteer for LVGW or another organization, you are donating your time to build a sustainable community for the future. You learn about yourself and the people you are helping, and it’s an eye-opening experience.
Interview Credits: Unum internal newsletter 9/5/2017
