Arsht-Cannon Fund grant bolsters Community ESL expansion
Sussex County’s Community English as a Second Language Program has received a generous grant from the Arsht-Cannon Fund. Arsht-Cannon’s $30,000 gift to the Community ESL Program will support English educational programs for non-native speakers in eastern Sussex County for the upcoming academic year.
Since its establishment in 2004, the Arsht-Cannon Fund has been a steadfast partner to Delaware's Latinx communities and the organizations that serve them with a mission to foster success and promote life-changing opportunities for individuals within these communities. Their collaborative efforts focus on enhancing access to culturally and linguistically relevant programs, while also nurturing trust, facilitating integration and empowering community members.
Founded in 2004, the Community ESL Program is sponsored by the Lutheran Church of Our Savior. Adult students can enroll in morning or evening classes led by volunteer teachers. Traditionally, the program offered courses over two semesters, fall and winter, at the church near Rehoboth Beach. Students are assigned to one of five course levels based on their English proficiency. With the support of funders like Arsht-Cannon and individual donations from the community, the Community ESL program grew over the past year, offering a class at a new Milford location and adding a third semester of conversation-focused coursework in Rehoboth Beach.
The Community ESL satellite campus at the Milford Public Library opened to students in fall 2022 with an evening basic-level class. Most students who enrolled were residents of Milford or the surrounding area seeking to improve their English skills for career advancement. Interest in the class was high, and several students were initially waitlisted. A group of 12 adults, with home countries including Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, and China, regularly attended classes, together building strong camaraderie in a supportive environment. Community ESL staff and volunteers are grateful to Vivian Erickson, special assistant to the director; Sarah Yatuzis, assistant director; and the entire Milford library staff for their support of the program and help throughout the fall and winter semesters. One highlight of the fall semester that showcased the Milford location was a tour of the facility offered by library staff. Students even applied for and received library cards.
In April, the Community ESL program debuted its new conversation classes. At the end of the winter semester, existing students could enroll in the six-week conversation program offered in the morning or evening at the LCOS campus. The classes were unique in several ways. First, the course content was instructor-developed based on needs personalized to each group. Each class included a mixture of students at each of the five proficiency levels, so a single conversation class included beginning, intermediate and advanced English speakers. Because of this unique structure, the conversation classes were characterized by intriguing discussions focused on helping students improve their English-speaking skills and expand their understanding of U.S. culture. Nearly 30 students from six home countries — Guatemala, Ukraine, Ecuador, Brazil, Belarus, and China — enrolled in the spring conversation classes.
With the support of funders like Arsht-Cannon, the Community ESL Program is poised to continue helping non-native speakers improve their language skills, enhance their educational and career opportunities, and share their expertise and talents with the southern Delaware communities where they live and work.
The program is now accepting students for fall classes, and organizers are always excited to welcome new learners and volunteer teachers. Classes will begin Tuesday, Sept. 12. To enroll in English language classes or learn how to help through volunteering or donating, go to lcosrehoboth.org/esl-program. For more information, email the program director at esl@lcosrehoboth.org or call 302-515-4385.
