Happy March, everyone.
Spring is on the horizon. Folks are getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The days are getting longer. The pandemic is nowhere near over, but it's starting to feel like there are reasons to hope. However...Recent data shows that more than 800 people in Colorado had COVID twice in the last year (infections more than 90 days apart) and another surge in infections is expected over the next eight weeks, so please continue to be careful and take care of yourselves!
If
you've been tutoring, please report your February tutoring time by this
Friday, March 5, at the latest so I can meet my state-mandated
reporting deadline. Here is the link to report your time and activity:
A correction
Last
month, I gave you the wrong email address for the ELA department at
Emily Griffith. If you know of any prospective students who wish to
enroll in online English classes, they should send an email to learnenglish@emilygriffith.edu
More positive news
The
Biden administration has stated the intention to restore the refugee
program to its previous capacity. That means the admissions ceiling has
been raised to 125,000 arrivals. In reality, we expect to see no more
than 35,000 new arrivals by October 1. During the last four years, the
overseas and domestic resettlement infrastructure was gutted by the
previous administration. It's going to take some time to rebuild all of
that at all levels, from the US State Department to local resettlement
agency offices. Although we won't see an immediate change in the
resettlement process, the entire program is headed in a direction of
growth and recovery.
Citizenship update
Several
people have asked about this, so here's what we know. Last year, the
testing requirements for those trying to become naturalized US citizens
changed and became much more rigorous. As of 2021, that is going to
change. From now through mid-April, anyone taking the citizenship test
has the option of taking the 2020 version or the previous 2008 version. On April 19, 2021, only the 2008 version will be administered going forward. More information and all the study resources you need can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/
FREE online training!
Literacy Minnesota is literally writing the book on online tutoring and language teaching. They have scheduled a series of free training
webinars for anyone who needs the information (a donation is suggested
but not required). Several teachers at Emily Griffith have participated
in sessions and they can't say enough good things about the training.
Even if you're waiting until it's safe to meet with a student in person,
you and your student may want to add an online component to your
language lessons. You must register in advance for these online
sessions, but everyone is welcome. Literacy Minnesota has also put
together a treasure trove of teaching resources for ESL tutors and adult
literacy instructors. Check it out!
Here are some articles you may have missed:
Denver area agencies prepare for new arrivals:
https://www.denverpost.com/
https://www.denverpost.com/
The story of an asylum seeker who encountered unimaginable cruelty at the US border:
https://www.motherjones.com/
https://www.motherjones.com/
Malaysia is deporting citizens of Burma:
https://www.vice.com/en/
https://www.vice.com/en/
Who is vaccinating refugees? (Possible paywall article)
https://foreignpolicy.com/
https://foreignpolicy.com/
Highly skilled immigrants' education going to waste
https://www.pressherald.com/
https://www.pressherald.com/
Philadelphia, like other cities, is preparing to welcome refugees once again
https://www.inquirer.com/news/
https://www.inquirer.com/news/
My
friend and colleague, Hannah Joost, interviews Andrea Echelberger of
Literacy Minnesota (Episodes 15, 16, and 18 are pretty great, too.)
https://soundcloud.com/
https://soundcloud.com/
What happens when an Afghan soldier tries to get SIV status and extraction to the United States?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/
That's all for this month. Please don't forget to report your tutoring time!
