Harvard University awarded the Gardner Pilot Academy Adult Education Program funds through the Harvard University Allston-Brighton Emergency Response Grant Program to support their efforts to help the community.
Over the course of 32 weeks, the Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA) Adult Education Program provides 62 lessons to English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners from Allston-Brighton to help improve their English language skills and learn from each other. Each Tuesday and Thursday evening from September through June they meet to improve their English language skills in order to, as program director Michelle Duval puts it, become advocates for themselves and for their children.
The program was just past the mid-point of their year in March when, like other programs, they had to stop in person instruction and shift to online learning. Making the change went smoothly due to the help of volunteers and pre-established relationships GPA had in the Allston-Brighton community.
The GPA Adult Education Program sought funds from the Harvard University Allston-Brighton Emergency Response Grant program to help its students through these tough times. Duval worked with two volunteers, one a Portuguese speaker and the other a Spanish speaker, to connect with students about their most pressing needs. The relief that the GPA Adult Education Program provided to their community went to help pay rent and essential bills.
“The resiliency our participants have shown is admirable,” Duval says. “To know the backstory of so many of our students, even pre-COVID, I feel honored to work with this group of people because they are just so humble and kind.”
She notes the special sense of community that is evident with the students, specifically pointing to times during Zoom-based classes where students would lift each other up and make certain to know the needs of their classmates in case they could be helpful.
“We partner with several Allston-Brighton non-profits to maximize the education our students are receiving,” Duval says. “We partner with the Literacy Connection, Charles River Community Health, the PAIR Program, and we partner with the [Harvard] Ed Portal and encourage our students to use the Ed Portal with all the offerings they have for families.”
As the program gears up to begin their new session in mid-September, the classes will begin online. And while the goal is to resume in person classes when it is safe to do so, Duval notes that having any sort of classes is important.
“It’s so important that programing resumes because we know that it helps – not only that students can practice their verb conjugation, but that folks can really be there for each other and understand they are not alone going through this really difficult time.”