News and Events

ESU Immigrant Programs Respond to COVID-19

National News – April 17, 2020

The challenges presented by the global health crisis have strengthened our commitment to better serve New York's communities of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. The ESU Immigrant Programs team has been hard at work adapting our education programs to online formats. We are excited to share some of these new initiatives! 

This has been an uncertain time, but it has also been a period of creativity, collaboration and innovation. Our community is resilient, and we are certain that we will get through this by working together.   

Online ESL classes

Our immigrant students now have the opportunity to take online ESL classes. We have been working with our teaching staff to redesign our curriculum. We are excited to be able to offer a range of classes to meet the needs and interests of our students. This will allow us to support our students as they continue to improve their English proficiency and to make progress toward achieving their goals.

Remote conversation sessions   

Tutor/student pairs continue to hold their weekly conversation sessions using online and telephone platforms. We are thrilled that students and tutors are staying connected, practicing English and continuing to learn from each other.

Professional development 

We are working with our community partners to offer a range of online workshops on job search strategies. Students will be able to learn about U.S. business culture and take steps toward achieving their career goals. 

Virtual town hall meetings

We are launching a series of virtual town hall meetings to foster community, reduce social isolation and share resources. 

Resource sharing  

Regular email and social media updates are keeping our students informed about resources and information related to healthcare, workers' rights, unemployment benefits and emergency relief funds. 

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