Spanish Literacy Tutoring Impact on Students

Summary

The Instituto del Progreso Latino is reaching out to Chicago-area Latinos with the help of the NCLR AmeriCorps program.

Description

It is a route that many of our ancestors have taken: leaving behind friends, family, and homeland, hoping to achieve what would be unachievable in their country of birth. Facing many challenges and hardships, immigrants continue to make their way to the north.

As a result of this immigration, Hispanics have become the largest minority group in the United States. According to recent census figures, the numbers of Mexicans in Chicago rose by 50% during the 1990’s, reaching a total of 530,000 in 2000. Chicago has the second highest Mexican population behind only Los Angeles. When accounting for other Hispanic immigrant groups, (i.e. Costa Ricans, Peruvians, Guatemalans), the numbers rise even higher.

These immigrants come with many needs, especially the need to understand the language of their new country. Many have little or no formal education, creating a formidable barrier to enrollment in English as a Second Language classes. Without formally mastering the basics of one language, the difficulty of learning a second language increases. The Spanish Literacy program at Instituto del Progreso Latino has created a bridge between the education of a second language, and the continuation of formal education.

Instituto del Progreso Latino (IPL) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide educational programs to assist Latino adults and their families to develop their full potential. Since its founding in 1975 in the basement of Saint Mary's Church on the Near West Side of Chicago, IPL has grown into a flourishing educational center enrolling 2000 students in over 130 classes per year. IPL is located in the heart of the Chicago Latino community situated between the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods.

Through Spanish literacy training, basic education classes, ESL instruction, vocational programs, citizenship preparation and services, on-site child care, academic and personal counseling services, leadership development and community advocacy, IPL is reaching out to help lead Chicago's Latinos to better places: to employment, to increased participation in their communities, and to fuller integration into the broader society. IPL and NCLR AmeriCorps formed a partnership in 2000 in order to tutor school children, and to create opportunities for Latino youth to attend college.

These programs are highly dependent on volunteers. Currently our AmeriCorps members provide the tutoring for more than 50 students. AmeriCorps members serve students who range in levels of literacy from first to sixth grade.

Recently, IPL held a small ceremony to congratulate the Spanish Literacy students’ and to recognize their achievements in the past year. One of the older students expressed her excitement due to her newfound ability to read. She was so appreciative for the opportunity to obtain such a gift so late in her life. Her greatest achievement was “being able to read to her grandchildren.” To the literate population, this ability may sound ordinary, but to this student, it was a beginning.

Stories like these are “pan de cada dia” at Instituto del Progreso Latino, and the students owe their gratitude to AmeriCorps members. Members are making a substantial difference, and the personal impact will be long lasting.