The Carlos Rosario School continues to expand on its nationally recognized model of adult education. This semester, its ESL for Families Program started an exciting new blended learning program in partnership with English Innovations. A curriculum created by the organization One America With Justice For All, English Innovations is a language learning model that combines a supportive classroom environment with online tools.

The School’s ESL for Families program provides tuition-free English classes to parents in five different sites throughout the District. Current class sites are Oyster Adams Bilingual School, Truesdell ES, Capital City PCS, EL Haynes PCS, and Center City Petworth PCS. These sites are part of the pilot, which is helping One America upgrade its curriculum and gain insights into how to facilitate instruction.

Forty-three students are participating in the curriculum, which the School has adapted for beginning English language learners. Each student received a tablet with internet access to use and take home for the duration of the semester. Internet service is being funded through our partners the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

In addition to English language instruction, students are gaining digital literacy and learning how to use technology, as well as finding engaging ways to practice English in class and at home, and to support their children with their learning.

In a recent class, students shared their first jobs and drew pictures of them on the tablets. They identified personal qualities important in selected jobs and learned the language components to describe these qualities. They then created videos about their first and current jobs.