ESL and GED Classes
“My Avance
experience impacted my life forever. ... Since childhood I had wanted to be a
teacher, but because I came from a large, poor family, this seemed impossible.
When I arrived in this country, my dream seemed even more distant because I
didn’t speak English—how wrong I was! Avance
opened the doors to resources that immigrants like me could depend on. It was
at Avance that I began my first
GED and ESL lessons. ... Two years ago I accomplished my goal of obtaining a bachelor’s
degree. I am now a kindergarten teacher in a DISD elementary school, and I plan
to continue studying to obtain my master’s degree.”
~ Marielena, Avance-Dallas
graduate
The parents in our program want to provide a good
home for their young children. They want to help them succeed in school and be
prepared to get good jobs. To help their families, they need to find good jobs
themselves. But for many who have been caught in a cycle of poverty for
generations, this seems like an impossibility. Avance-Dallas
helps parents reach their economic and educational goals through our ESL
(English as a Second Language) and GED classes.
We’ve seen a dual benefit to these classes. Not
only do they advance the parents in their English-speaking skills and academic
attainment levels, these classes provide a model of educational achievement for
children. As young children watch their parents work hard at “school,” the
children are inspired to do the same. Parents impart a key message to their
children: Education and excellence are worthwhile lifelong pursuits.
In Avance-Dallas
ESL classes, parents learn to write and speak the English language. Our
curriculum emphasizes practical life skills that promote self-reliance, and we
offer a real-world approach to language learning that has worked especially
well for the population we serve.
In our GED classes, parents improve reading and
writing skills and prepare for the GED exam. These classes provide literacy
instruction needed for transition to further education, workforce entrance,
personal development, and lifelong learning.
While parents attend classes, we care for their
children in an educational setting free of charge. Many parents say they would
not be able to take ESL and GED classes if we did not provide free childcare.
Avance-Dallas
offers adult literacy services at four of our sites:
John F. Kennedy Learning Center in East Dallas, Leila P. Cowart Elementary
School and Anson Jones Elementary School in Oak Cliff, and Gabe P. Allen
Charter School in West Dallas. In the 2008–2009 program year, Avance-Dallas served 157 parents in our
ESL classes and 67 parents in GED classes.