August brings Community Language Classes, Program Updates and an NPR Spotlight!

SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION THIS FALL WITH OUR COMMUNITY LANGUAGE CLASSES

Hi Reader,

Do you have that “Back to School” feeling? Our Fall Community Language Classes give adults a chance to get back in the classroom!

Registration for our Fall Classes open for our newsletter subscribers on Friday, August 30. Here's a preview of what we'll be offering this session:

ASL (American Sign Language) 1A (for Beginners)
Conversational Spanish 101
Conversational Spanish 102
ESL (English as a Second Language) 1A / Curso de Inglés ESL 1A

Since 2021, World Speaks has offered 28 free language classes to community members wanting to learn a new language. 230 students have joined us to start their language journey in a safe, supportive environment! Our Programs Manager, Paulina Campos Guzman, has this to say about our incredible Community Courses:

Image of a quote that reads: "Our community courses offer the opportunity to start your language journey in a safe environment where everyone is welcomed, and where students and instructors learn from each other. You'll be able to improve your skills and immerse yourself in the culture. Our courses are accessible, dynamic, and easy to follow. We create all our materials in-house, keeping in mind that everyone learns differently. We provide support and guidance for you not only to learn a new language but also to learn about the culture behind it. You'll be able to connect with members of our community, learn from their experiences, ask questions, and listen to them in their native language."

We always ask past students about their experience in our community classes. What do we hear? Students like having a safe space to learn and practice from skilled teachers, they enjoy the native speakers who visit the classes, and say that it is encouraging to practice their language skills with other learners!

If you’d like to join us this fall for ASL, Conversational Spanish, or ESL, mark your calendar for August 30 and be on the lookout for our registration email, which we’ll send by 4 pm that day!

We can’t wait to learn with you!

If you've taken a class with us, and want to share about your experience, don't forget you can always leave us a Google Review to help others find out about our classes!

OPEN DOORS UPDATE

In January, we introduced you to our newest program, Open Doors. Since programs like Open Doors happen because of donors like you, we wanted to share an update on what we’ve done so far this year.

Since launching, we have established a reliable network with partners, actively listened to community leaders and organizations, identified the limitations faced by the lack of bilingual/multilingual staff and the challenges posed by restricted funding. Our team has provided translation services for applications & for housing reports.

Our work with Open Doors is extremely interconnected within our community, because we know collective work creates collective impact. You may be familiar with two of our partners - Restoring Dignity and the Refugee Empowerment Center + Immigrant Legal Center.

Restoring Dignity’s Housing Study, which World Speaks helped translate into 10 languages, has prompted community leaders to explore improved strategies for refugee-friendly affordable housing and improved accessibility for our refugee & immigrant communities.

Our partnership with the Refugee Empowerment Center + Immigrant Legal Center helps refugees/immigrants in securing housing, providing rent & security deposit aid, language support, as well as a resettlement & employment case manager to help them maintain their housing.

Language Accessibility Manager, Arturo Aceves González, keeps the Open Doors initiative moving forward with his dedication & commitment to fostering sustainable change. When asked on what he hopes for the next stage of Open Doors, he says:

“My goal remains consistent: to foster sustainable change rather than quick fixes. We aim to continue building and strengthening the trust we’ve established while managing our resources effectively. I hope to see ongoing progress in meeting community needs, ensuring that everyone feels welcomed, heard, and supported. We hope Open Doors will remain a pivotal tool for promoting equity and celebrating linguistic diversity, as we work towards making Nebraska a place where people can truly call home.”

If you’d like to continue to foster sustainable change and language accessibility in housing, consider making a donation to World Speaks at: https://worldspeaksomaha.org/donate/.

LISTEN TO LEAH ON RIVERSIDE CHATS ON KIOS

Image of the KIOS radio page for Leah Whitney Chavez's Interview on Riverside Chats. It reads "Leah Whitney Chavez of World Speaks Omaha on How Language Access Shapes Communities." Below the headline is a photo of Leah, smiling at the camera.

“When you know a little bit of someone’s language, they really light up and it’s like ‘you’re trying to step into my bubble or my world’ and people really appreciate that.”

Our Executive Director, Leah Whitney Chavez, was recently interviewed by Michael Griffin on Riverside Chats from KIOS! Leah talked about how her multicultural childhood impacted her career trajectory, how World Speaks translation services work, and how World Speaks keeps culture at the forefront of language education. If you've ever wanted to hear about the work World Speaks does directly from Leah, now is your chance! You can listen to the interview here: https://www.kios.org/show/riverside-chats/2024-08-13/leah-whitney-chavez-of-world-speaks-omaha-on-how-language-access-shapes-communities or find the transcript here: https://otter.ai/u/doTSN4gLV0E-PuuioyzBgfzIeyA.

On September 27, we'll present at the Nebraska Association For Translators and Interpreters Conference! We are partnering with Ashley Wulf from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to talk about language deprivation in the deaf community, how to work with the American Sign Language Interpreter, and explain the Deaf Interpreter and the benefits of using Deaf Interpreters. We can't wait! Learn more about the conference at: https://natihq.org/event/nati-2024-25th-annual-conference-nati-non-member-early-bird/

Late in July, Leah Whitney Chavez joined the Language Connects Foundation (LCF) on a panel for their Student Ambassadors. The focus? Social Justice and community Building through Language and Cultural Awareness. It was an incredible experience with students and advocates from all over the country. Want to learn more about the Language Connects Foundation? Visit: https://www.languageconnectsfoundation.org/

GET INVOLVED

Want to join World Speaks in our work? There are several ways you can do so!

Volunteer! - We are always looking for native speakers who are interested in being in-class mentors. We’d love to have you join us this fall!
Donate - Your donation at any time of year allows us to continue to offer free programming and services!
Visit our store for unique World Speaks products featuring Linx the Language Cat on notebooks & mugs!