Make the Road New York

Program Overview

Make the Road New York (MRNY) provides adult literacy services, including English language classes (ESOL), U.S. Citizenship courses, and health career skills training. MRNY's adult literacy program serves 1,400 people a year, primarily with ESOL classes. Typically 80% of students who complete a course advance an English level during any given year. Students are all 18 years or older, not enrolled in secondary school, and seeking to develop their English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills to be able to secure jobs, pursue education and training, and navigate life in the US. We have community centers in NYC in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; in Westchester in White Plains and on LI in Brentwood.
Under COVID, our adult curriculum and programming respond to new and ongoing COVID related needs while adhering to the rules of social distancing. We currently run our ESOL and Citizenship preparation classes remotely via Zoom, Google classroom and WhatsApp (per public health guidelines). Our online classes have allowed community members to continue to learn, support each other, and get accurate information about the virus. When conditions allow we will return to in person classes.

We provide Community Health Worker training and Bridge to Health Careers classes, as well as ESOL classes that are integrated with "know your rights" information for immigrants, critical COVID policy information and other timely content that supports immigrant adults in engaging in the civic life of their city. ESOL classes include themes of financial literacy, housing rights, workers' rights, education system navigation, and health literacy.

MRNY's citizenship education courses include a connection to legal services case management to support immigrants in the process of becoming naturalized citizens. All of these topics have taken on a new level of urgency during the pandemic. In addition, adult literacy case managers connect enrolled students with other legal and support services as needed. Case managers and teachers consistently share critical information about accessing housing, worker support, healthcare, food and financial relief during the pandemic, while encouraging students' continued skill building.

To apply: https://maketheroadny.formtitan.com/AdultEd#/

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

Jorge Idrovo, a MRNY member from Long Island, enrolled in our adult education classes to build skills that would help him expand his painting business. He's studied English with MRNY for over a year, advancing three full levels. "I work all over Suffolk and Nassau and about 90% of my clients are native English speakers. The language skills I've learned at Make the Road New York have helped me attract new clients," Jorge says.