Speech #1030063091

A number of students involved with the program even changed their majors to become teachers. While the community work these students performed was almost always their first involvement with community service. most of the students continued their community involvement in one way or another. The program at the University of Massachusetts in Boston is unique because it works exclusively with nonEnglishspeaking immigrant and refugee communities. The program recruited bilingual undergraduates and placed them in 16 adult programs. often. but not exclusively within their own communities. These programs. which in many cases had hundreds on waiting lists. taught English as a second language and also native language literacy. The undergraduates worked in both small groups or one on one situations and overall helped over 300 adult students. While the program addressed the problem of adult literacy in immigrant and refugee communities in Boston. and helped diversify the teaching programs at the adult literacy centers. it also had a significant effect on the undergraduates involved in the program. The program gave the students. many of them immigrants. a chance to learn about each others communities. and helped many of them choose to become social workers or teachers. In fact. many of the students stayed on as permanent staff in the agencies they were assigned to or obtained Jobs as teachers or TAs before and after graduation. The grant was especially helpful at a time when the schools programs were being out across the board and administrators of the program expressed a desire for the program to be expanded. even though they continue to train tutors at a reduced level.