When Glenview resident Keyra Gamboa moved from Mexico last year to complete her senior year of high school at Glenbrook South High School, she knew she wanted to both work with children and attend university. Her teachers recommended that she learn English and pointed her toward the Oakton College English as a Second Language program.
In the summer of 2023, Oakton College created the Oakton English as a Second Language program. Dean of Adult and Continuing Education at Oakton College Delia Rodriguez noted that the need for bilingual early childhood educators became a pressing issue in Evanston, sparking collaboration among local organizations to create the initiative.
Gamboa is a member of the second cohort of the ESL program and was hired by the Evanston Early Childhood Education Council group last month.
She has enjoyed working with kids and helping them realize their full potential while also learning English.
“Sometimes parents say ‘Oh, they’re just kids, you know, they don’t understand,’” Gamboa said in Spanish. “But I have learned that kids are so smart, and they start learning so soon. I find that really interesting.”
The ESL program is free, with a mix of in-person and online classes offered in the summer, fall and spring. The non-credit classes offer integrated skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, conversation, grammar, career readiness and critical thinking for students 16 and older.
The program is facilitated by Oakton College bilingual and bicultural professor Dr. Norma Guzmán and was created in collaboration with the City of Evanston, Evanston Latinos, Evanston Early Childhood Council, Evanston Cradle to Career and Evanston Community Foundation.
The program utilizes the Gateways to Opportunity Illinois Professional Development System. The Gateways credential offers a Gateways ESL and Bilingual Credential as an add-on to the Early Childhood Education Credential.
In the first cohort, 17 students started in the program, with a majority of the cohort completing Gateways level one. In the second cohort, which finished Wednesday, a majority of students completed Gateways level one. Some, like Gamboa, have already been hired within Evanston and Niles ECE groups.
According to Rodriguez, working with local communities fosters meaningful connections while emphasizing the importance of bilingualism in education and broader community engagement.
Rebeca Mendoza, the executive director of Evanston Latinos, said she is excited about the reception the program has received in just over a year.
“We have participants who have doctorates in their country and are interested in working in the early childhood space,” Mendoza said. “Evanston Latinos is working toward developing our community’s economy, and this is an important part of our work as we know this program will increase job prospects, household incomes and acquiring formal degrees for participants.”
Gamboa noted the special experience the program has provided her with. She hopes to use the English skills she gained in her career and with her family moving forward.
She encourages anyone who is interested in the program to go do it because you “never know when time will run out.”
“Don’t be scared. Sometimes I’m still scared to talk with someone who is really good at English,” Gamboa said. “For me, the best thing for learning English is going to my class, come home, study and practice English at work.”
Leah Kitner, Senior Workforce and Community Education Program Developer at Oakton College, said the program strengthens language skills and cultivates professional development, creating sustainable career pathways for its students.
Kitner believes the need for bilingual early childhood educators will only continue to grow from here. Oakton College plans to continue the ESL program.
“We believe in lifelong learning, so continued growth is important,” Kitner said.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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