The TOGETHER program offers a unique approach where families can improve their English together while receiving the individual attention that is necessary in order advance in language learning.
My group of learners consisted of four adult learners, all of whom are mothers that made time out of their busy schedules to come learn English with our program. The determination of our students motivated me to be the best tutor I could be. Watching these women improve their English week after week was truly such a rewarding experience. The needs of the participants of the TOGETHER program was made clear from the very first day of class; to feel comfortable speaking English in order to better interact and communicate with their surrounding community. Thank you to the TOGETHER program for all you do!! 

Madeline LoFaso(Adult Literacy Tutors) Spring 2019

When I saw the posting for TOGETHER on Handshake, I applied thinking it would be another opportunity to practice and develop my teaching. I did practice my teaching, but TOGETHER has become so much more to me than an internship. Throughout the semester, I was able to see my student, who has a learning disability, learn and grow both academically and socially because of the lessons my co-teacher and I made for him. In practicums, you don’t get to see that progress you and your student make because you are not there long enough to see the change you create. I am so proud of my student because he has gone from having difficulty reading a panel in a Minecraft comic book to playing Undertale, an indie video game with several long dialogues. Because I had the freedom to focus on my student’s needs and interests, my student enjoyed learning and we had fun every week geeking out about video games. I was also able to see my teaching make a difference. On top of the teaching, the TOGETHER Program also empowered me to be an advocate for what I believe in. When students in TOGETHER were exhibiting signs of emotional disturbances, I stepped up to the plate and taught workshops and aided fellow tutors with specific students. I suffered from emotional disturbances and mental illness growing up and helping young people with their emotions was extremely empowering. I went from being a victim to a mentor and I am forever grateful to the TOGETHER Program for giving me that opportunity. Everyone at TOGETHER is like family and I love them so much.

Emily Cecala (Special need Tutors) Spring 2019.

I initially met Tim at my workplace and we talked about the struggles of the migrants and the devastation after Hurricane Maria. We followed up in a meeting with Rocio to further discuss what we all had as a common goal; to help these families. My hope was to collaborate and assist these families to become acclimated to their new surroundings. I knew through my work as an outreach worker what these families lacked. I was their resource to connect with different services within the county but the one barrier I knew that needed to be addressed was the language. After many meetings, planning, presentations and surveys TOGETHER unveiled and far surpassed my hopes for these families. It was not only adults learning English. Their children receive tutoring as well. It is far more than just learning though. Relationships have been built between families, student teachers and coordinators. To see everyone gathering and celebrating together loved me. I am so happy and excited for the program and look forward to seeing all the future has to offer to all involved. I am grateful to be a part of TOGETHER. 

Michelle Perez  (Community Outreach Worker) Spring 2019.

My involvement in the TOGETHER program has enhanced my appreciation of the Spanish-speaking adults efforts to learn a new language. I am impressed with the college students’ dedication in providing the appropriate instruction for their students. Each session I come away with a satisfaction in knowing TOGETHER has made a positive community connection. Jean Schild (Community member) Spring 2019.

The TOGETHER program has had such an impact on my Geneseo experience so far! Coming in as a freshman, I knew that I was going to miss being a part of my hometown community and especially being able to watch children and families grow. TOGETHER has provided the family-like atmosphere that I love so much. Each Sunday I see the smiles on the children’s faces as they learn how to write new letters and I see the smile on the faces of their parents as they witness their children falling in love with a learning environment that supports their entire family. I leave Sunday mornings with a warm heart and I am always ready to start my week. The children really remind me how to find joys in the simplest things like coloring a picture or counting to ten. Both of the girls have had such an impact on me in such a short time. I am so thankful that I joined TOGETHER this semester! Emily Cook ( P-12 Learner Tutor) Fall 2018.

Being a part of TOGETHER as an English teacher this semester has been an enriching experience for me, on both an academic and a personal level. College campuses can sometimes feel a little insulated, especially in a small town like Geneseo, and I never felt much of a connection to the community outside of the university. TOGETHER has been a great opportunity to meet local residents of all different backgrounds and to be a part of something that extends beyond the Geneseo campus. I am majoring in Spanish and plan to incorporate it into my future career in some way, so having the chance to develop my own Spanish language skills while helping others learn English has been of great value to me. I have always chosen to study languages because that is something I am passionate about, but through this experience, I have gained more perspective. For many people like those in our program, learning English is not a choice, but rather a necessity to get by in their day-to-day lives. More than ever in today’s climate, I believe that it is our responsibility to foster a sense of inclusiveness in our communities and let people who have come from other parts of the world know that they are welcome here. I see as TOGETHER an important step toward achieving that on a local level. The college is such an important institution in this area, and the support of the university and other local organizations for this program sends a message of openness and acceptance. Rather than letting language differences pose a barrier between people, programs like this one can transform them into something that connects us. TOGETHER is a valuable program for everyone involved and I look forward to watching it grow and develop even further. Julia Latier  (Adult Literacy Tutors) Fall 2018.

My experience working as an English-language tutor for TOGETHER has been very positive, and I have learned a lot about myself as both an education student and as a Spanish major. When working with our tutees who have lower English levels, I have had the amazing opportunity to practice Spanish and test my skills. While working with any of our tutees, I have learned about their cultures and have had the opportunity to share a little bit about my own cultural traditions. I truly feel that I have a relationship with our tutees, and I enjoy learning their perspective both as immigrants to this country and as adults (in college we do not often spend time conversing with adults as we do when we are home). About my experience as an education student, my eyes have been opened to the tall demands of this profession. We were given these tutees with very little information about their proficiency and background with English, which is similar to how most of the time we do not know the background or knowledge of our students before the year begins. This program is the first time I think I have really needed to make solid lesson plans and prepare a lot of material. Each week I think I do things a little better – it definitely is not easy! Reflecting on this past semester and looking to the future, I think that this program can grow and become very successful if we can give it more structure. If we could have set tutees this would help in preparation week-to-week. Also becoming part of this program is a big commitment and requires a lot of preparation outside of the two hours that we spend tutoring every Sunday. I know that I have put a lot of work into creating worksheets and lesson plans, and it has been really rewarding as each week I can feel like I have given my tutees useful material and at least introduced them to an important topic. This program also relies on the ability of our tutees to have transportation to come to class. If Geneseo could do anything to get more families transportation to our classes, our program and these families would be very grateful. Aside from increasing their English skills, this program allows these adults to leave the house and interact with their community – a rare opportunity if they do not have access to transportation. This program is mutual learning for both Geneseo students and immigrant families in our community. I am very thankful to be a part of this beginning and am excited to see where we can go from here. Isabelle Cirulli(Adult Literacy Tutors) Fall 2018.

TOGETHER  has been such a wonderful addition to my semester. No matter what stress or what kind of day I was having, after a meeting with Professor Vallejo talking about the plans for the week, I always left with a smile on my face, excited about the coming week. Every Sunday morning, I was greeted with smiling faces who were not only happy to see me but were happy and excited to learn from me and the other tutors. The people that we have worked with this semester are so incredibly kind, brave, and hardworking and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet each and everyone of them. This program is amazing because the tutors have some freedom in their lesson plans, it is something that brings joy and not stress and no matter what level the community members are at with their English, they leave each class knowing a little bit more and they are excited with every little bit of English that they can take with them when they leave the campus. One student spends every free moment he has working on English and he always asks me for homework and more practice. His determination, motivation and eagerness for learning inspires me every week. We not only get to meet and help these people but we also get to learn from them. Each week, I would learn a few words of Spanish that I didn’t know or have the opportunity to practice speaking with them and they would be so happy to teach me something new or hear that I was trying to speak their language while they were trying to learn mine. I think programs like this are an incredible experience especially for a Spanish major such as myself. It gives you the chance to practice, learn, teach, help and reflect on the language while interacting and connecting with wonderful members of the community. This program takes the language from just a topic of study to something that we are putting into practice and integrating into our wonderful school and community. I cannot express my appreciation and thanks enough for this program, everything I have learned from it and all of the relationships that I have made. I look forward to all of our future work TOGETHER. Karen Caswell(Adult Literacy Tutors) Fall 2018.