Tutoring Program

Saint’s Place Tutoring Programs offer weekly tutoring for refugee families wanting to learn English and have social interaction with Americans. Our two programs meet weekly during the school year. One group meets at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Monday evenings and the other meets at Marianne Cope Church on Thursday evening.

This summer, our program at the Cathedral will again host summer activities. Two field trips are being planned, such as going to the Seneca Park Zoo or Seabreeze Amusement Park. These classic children's experiences are not only fun, but also provide language building and enrichment. They are luxuries that refugee families -- who are finding jobs and trying to establish themselves -- cannot afford. Financial gifts to cover the costs would be appreciated.

Our school year programs offer one-on-one assistance to refugees -- both adults and children. The programs provide opportunities for adults to learn to speak, read and write English and to get assistance with something as simple as going through their mail. What is junk, and what is a bill that needs to be paid? Adult refugees may need help studying to take a driving test or later on to take their citizenship exams.
 

For the children, our tutoring programs offer help with their homework, orientation to American culture and a chance to socialize and talk with Americans in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. The children often enjoy learning to play American board games and card games, and their language skills are developed in the process!
 

While several tutoring volunteers return year after year, there are others who come for a year or so and move on. We are very fortunate to have networked with Nazareth University, and we benefit from young, eager student volunteers who join us. Recently we had a refugee mom, who had come here as a young girl from Russia, return to the program with her two daughters to give back and to continue their own learning! We are always looking -- needing -- new volunteers to step up to the plate.

Saint's Place thanks all the tutors and refugees who have helped to make our programs so successful. Longtime friendships have been forged, and Saint's Place mission of “Welcoming the Stranger” is not just a vision, it is reality.