OUR FIRST YEAR!

September 2019 - August 2020

Our first year as Open Doors English: The Julie Rudd Coulombe Language Program has been incredibly rich and fruitful. We would like to share some highlights of our year!

ODE'S FIRST YEAR IN SUMMARY

More than 200 students from over 35 countries participated in our morning, afternoon, and evening classes, taught by seven experienced English language teachers with the help of more than a dozen volunteers. Students collectively received more than 12,350 hours of class time.

Over 150 students and community members participated in our Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony in November.

50 pairs of students and community members participated our newly launched Conversation Partners program, since the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic arose as creative way to stay connected.

ODE has convened a volunteer Advisory Board of 5 members, with representation from students, staff, and connected community organizations.

ODE received donations from over 390 supporters and was awarded seven grants.

STUDENT-REPORTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students have reported the following life and learner outcomes from their ongoing studies at Open Doors English:

96% of students improved their fundamental English language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing, etc.).

99% of students improved their self-confidence and/or sense for self-efficacy when using English.

96% of students increased their autonomy within the community (being able to do things that were difficult due to language barriers such as taking a leadership role at work, speaking to a child’s teacher, etc.).

96% of students reported an increased sense of belonging in the local English-speaking community.

Students have reported ODE as having improved their life condition or helping to meet a life goal by supporting them to get jobs in the US and abroad, volunteer in New York state, make new friends, write better emails, interact with locals, apply for and attend University, pursue US Citizenship, and participate more fully in their community.

Tutors and volunteers reported a substantially increased understanding of issues faced by immigrants.

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS, PROJECTS, AND PARTNERSHIPS FROM OUR FIRST YEAR

Open doors English continues to be committed to co-hosting events and projects with the larger community. These are some of our connections that were drawn in our first year:

In September and October 2019, advanced students toured Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art, and participated in a multi-part lecture and visual art series entitled "Migrations That Have Shaped Ithaca," including focus on Indigenous, Black, and Latino forced migration stories.

Photo: ODE Student Artists collaborating with local women to embroider fabric for Das Kleid exhibit at the Johnson.

Also in September,

  • ODE partnered with Of All Trades to bring a Networking 101 workshop to Tompkins County Public Library.

  • Law Professor Steve Yale-Loehr presented interactive Know Your Rights Workshops across all program levels.

  • Our ODE Flu Shots Initiative with the Ithaca Free Clinic provided information and options for vaccination access to our students in October.

Photo: Networking 101 with Of All Trades

In November, we co-hosted a community-based workshop with WEAVE Community celebrating the richness of international languages called “Lost for Words: A Celebration of Language Diversity” at Ithaca's CAP ArtSpace Gallery. This was set against a gallery backdrop of political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina.

Photo: Guest speaker Nicaraguan Artist Pedro X. Molina's presentation to ODE classes in February 2020.

Photo: Julie's family and ODE colleagues accepting her Award for Service to her community.

Julie Rudd Coulombe was posthumously awarded Cornell's Debra S. Newman Award for outstanding service to her community.

And, ODE established year-long, ongoing partnerships with Cornell University’s Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and Ithaca’s Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) to connect local young people with our international student body.

We arranged multiple student field trips, including to the new History Center in Tompkins County (in October), and the Harriet Tubman House and Museum (in March), to make greater connections to the content and cultural context of our language studies.

Photo: Students learning from Park Ranger and Tour Guide at the Harriet Tubman House.

In Summer 2020, we teamed up with CCE Tompkins to provide free once-a-week Cooking and Gardening classes as an extension and application of our community- and communication-based ESL instruction.

Photo: CCE's Josh Dolan unloading raised bed supplies for Summer Gardening Class student's new home garden!

  • After our move to online-only classes, and in response to the community isolation resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic, ODE developed a Conversation Partners program to connect students with Ithacans/New Yorkers who are looking for a social connection in the era of social distancing. We have more than 50 pairs connecting independently!

  • Truly, our program is the Julie Rudd Coulombe Language Program, and this intent was refreshed with the start of our first EVER French language classes, taught by guest teacher Marion Cosson in the summer session of 2020!

  • We have successfully launched an online evening English class specifically for area Latino farmworkers who have not been able to travel to Ithaca to attend classes during their one day off per week.

  • We maintained an ongoing connection with Tompkins County Public Library and the Finger Lakes Library Network to provide class sets of novels for our new book discussion classes.

  • We continue to support local efforts of the United States 2020 Census through connections with Catholic Charities' initiatives to better represent the true diversity of our beloved home.