Vickery Meadow Learning Center: Photo by Danny Fulgencio
Sure, you can celebrate the Fourth at a parade, guzzling beer and eating hot dogs, but this would be cool too.
One neighborhood near Preston Hollow is home to thousands of refugees and immigrants, many of them working hard to learn the English language. What better time to commit to help them do so than America’s Independence Day (or thereabouts)? USA! USA!
The Vickery Meadows neighborhood — bounded by Northwest Highway, Royal Lane, Central Expressway, and Skillman/Abrams — is home to people from all over the world. Twenty different languages are spoken among the some 36,000 Vickery Meadows residents.
In 1997 the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church founded The Vickery Meadows Learning Center non-profit organization, which is dedicated to improving English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their children by providing programs in communication and life skills. Since then many volunteer teachers have helped meet the demand for literacy education for Vickery Meadows residents.
Volunteers are needed this to teach adult literacy classes beginning in September, and now is the time to sign up. An orientation class will take place next month. Volunteer teachers must be at least 18 and able to commit to teach one four-day week (Monday through Thursday session). All classes are co-taught and no second language or teaching experience is required.
Teacher training and class materials are provided at August’s orientation class. For more information on orientation dates and to sign up to teach in June contact Liz Harling online or by calling 214.265.5057 ext. 102.
Opportunities also are available for mentors, computer lab aides, office help and special events planners.
