Oakton College recently partnered with several Evanston organizations to create a pilot program that combines English as a second language and early childhood education training. The program aims to address a workforce shortage of early childhood educators and a community need for ESL and job training.
Beginning in summer 2023, participants began receiving ESL training and working toward earning the Basic Early Childhood Education certificate at Oakton. Seventeen students currently participate.
The program is the collaborative effort of several partners, including Evanston Latinos, Evanston Early Childhood Council, the city government, Evanston Cradle to Career and Evanston Community Foundation.
The city, Evanston Cradle to Career and Evanston Community Foundation each contributed $5,000 to the pilot program to provide stipends to participants.
Due to steady decreases in the number of child care workers and early childhood educators exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Evanston and other cities nationwide are experiencing major shortages.
Stephen Vick, Executive Director at Infant Welfare Society of Evanston and Chair of the Evanston Early Childhood Council, noted educator shortages have significantly impacted the early childhood age group.
“We literally have a waitlist of students, and we can’t fill a classroom,” Vick said. “Not because of the need of students and families, but because we don’t have the teachers to do it.”
The program combines the demand for early childhood educators with the community need for access to ESL training and job opportunities for Spanish speakers, said Jesse Ivory, assistant vice president for workforce innovation and college partnerships at the college.
Oakton’s ESL training is a “community-based learning experience,” Ivory said. The hybrid course allows students to learn with one another and their instructors while gaining English skills.
Oakton College also prioritized hiring a bilingual professor to instruct students in the pilot ESL/ECE program. Dr. Norma Guzmán is a bilingual professor who has shined in the role, Ivory and Vick said.
“It isn’t often outside of a standard ESL class to have a bilingual career training program, but we knew this is what we needed to do,” Ivory said. “(Guzmán) brings a wealth of just professional experience that the students are also able to tap into.”
According to Vick, Evanston Latinos helped lay the groundwork for the program by reaching out to Spanish-speaking communities and facilitating information sessions.
“We build trust,” said Rebeca Mendoza, executive director of Evanston Latinos. “What the community was telling us is that they want opportunities to work, they want opportunities for higher wages, they want education opportunities, so I think that’s where we had a direct connection to the Spanish-speaking community in Evanston.”
Mendoza said that many Spanish speakers searching for jobs are limited by language barriers and access to training, and the pilot program creates an opportunity to overcome those obstacles.
She also noted that in her 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, this is the first time a pilot program has launched with such swiftness.
“I think that speaks of the determination and the willingness of everybody who came to the table to address the need and to make things happen,” Mendoza said.
Ultimately, Vick said, the program hopes to allow participants to pursue fulfilling careers that will support their families. Vick and Ivory also said many members of the first cohort have aspirations to pursue further certifications and degrees.
Ivory emphasized her excitement to see how the program will grow and believes it will become a model for colleges and organizations everywhere in the future.
“We’re trying to advance racial equity. We’re trying to enhance workforce readiness and community engagement,” she said. “This is just the beginning.”
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Twitter: @LilyOgburn
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