Saturday ELL Academy

Sociedad Latina’s Saturday ELL Academy, offered in partnership with Boston Public Schools (BPS), is the only program of its kind in the cit and is designed to give ELL students and families the extra support they need to stay on track in school.

The program was first piloted for four weeks in June 2010 and launched as a year-round program in February 2011. ELL Academy students receive a combination of morning literacy instruction by ELL-certified teachers, and afternoon activities such as woodworking, glassblowing, music (through Sociedad Latina’s Music Clubhouse), and dance. The free program is open to all BPS ELL students in grades 5 to 8.

The Saturday ELL Academy is part of Sociedad Latina’s larger Initiative for Cultural Proficiency in Boston Public Schools, an education reform campaign lead by high school youth community organizers. The campaign aims to ensure BPS staff are trained, and services exist that make education equal for students of all backgrounds.

Watch Program Coordinator Jennifer Reyes discuss the ELL Academy with BNN.

ELL students, who make up 20 percent of BPS student body, suffer from low standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Last year, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found the district violated their civil rights by failing to “properly identify and adequately serve” ELL students, and ordered an overhaul of the system. The Saturday ELL Academy follows the success of a similar month-long pilot program Sociedad Latina ran last spring. This year, Sociedad Latina will double the number of participants to 60. Parent workshops will also be provided to help ELL families better advocate for and support their children in school.

Slots may still be available for the program. To sign up, contact Jennifer Reyes at 617-442-4299, ext. 149 or jennifer@sociedadlatina.org. Applications are also available at our office at 1530 Tremont St.