Adult English Class
CLASS TIMES:
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Monday through Thursday
B5 collaborates with the Boys and Girls Club to offer English classes for adults at their Kennewick Club. The classes cater to new arrival refugees and other immigrants who face language barriers in finding employment. The program also includes a digital literacy class to help students navigate the digital world.
Each week we receive 1-6 students who have very little to no English language skills. To help these students best integrate into the program and begin their English Learning journey, they are invited to participate in small-group activities to learn the English Alphabet (letter names and sounds) and to learn number (identify and count). This is a group that is guided by 1 regular volunteer each day.
Students who are emerging in their ability to communicate in English start to take a digital literacy class where they learn basic computer skills while continuing to develop their English Language skills. Some of these students have never used a computer before. This Digital Literacy Level 1 class has students that are quite spread in their ability to navigate a computer and understand instructions in English. Each day, a volunteer is highly valued in working side-by-side with students to complete simple tasks as they complete language exercises on the computer.
Teachers of the English classes are also so grateful for volunteer help with students as they are navigating activities. Our class sizes are growing, and many students are being stretched in new ways that has created a need for “back-up,” or side-by-side assistance from native English speakers to work on learning tasks to build their language skills. Additionally, there are times that our full-time teachers are out sick, and we need a “Back-up Teacher” to guide the class in activities that have been planned ahead of time by the full-time teachers.
Students often come to school late or need to leave early. At the front desk, we have a simple sign-in/out form for students to fill out as they come in later or leave early for doctor’s appointments and other personal matters. Because of a large increase in enrollments each week that needs to be attended to by our school administration, a volunteer to greet students and help them fill out the sign-in/out form is extremely helpful to our students and staff.
Evening English Class
CLASS TIMES:
5:30-6:30 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; not meeting in the summer.
B5 Volunteers teach adult students all aspects of English, with particular attention to workplace vocabulary.
B5 Volunteers can also work one on one with a particular student practicing conversational English if there is something that prevents the student from attending class.
Women’s Class
CLASS TIMES:
9:30-10:30 AM Monday through Thursday; meets Tues-Thurs in the summer
B5 volunteers meet with Afghan women who are uncomfortable attending the regular classes because men are present. B5 Volunteers teach all aspects of English to the women and B5 provides childcare for their preschool children.
Ready for Kindergarten! Workshops
Three times each year B5 partners with KSD and the Reading Foundation to provide parents of children ages 0 to 5 age-appropriate workshops in simple English. These workshops give parents the training and tools that help them be their child’s first teacher, able to help their child be successful when they enter kindergarten.
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Donations to B5 nonprofit are vital for providing direct assistance, enhancing programs, promoting accessibility, empowering families, creating community impact, and instilling hope. Your contributions make a tangible difference in the lives of the families we serve, helping them overcome challenges, build resilience, and create a brighter future where they can thrive.
