Help Me Help Refugees
Donation protected
My heart shatters over the massive number of people who have to flee their homes to escape wars and economic despair. How can I help them? The best, and maybe only, thing I have to contribute is my skill with the English language, as a literature scholar, a writer, an editor, and native speaker. Where can I help the most? The US has sadly been very slow to allow refugees to resettle here. Canada, however, has welcomed 30,000+ refugees since November 2015. So to do the most good in the nearest future, I need to be certified as a teacher of English as a Second Language, with a certificate that is respected both here and in Canada.
The best training program I have found that will enable me to teach within the next year is through Cambridge University in the UK (a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or CELTA). I can do much of the program online, with a 2-week practicum at one of their centers here in the US or Canada. Or a 4-week intensive course completely on site. My hope is to do the course, either online or on site, in Montreal to be sure that I have the appropriate skills to serve in Canada, until such time as the US moves to welcome significant numbers of refugees.
The CELTA program cost is $2500, and lodging in Montreal for 2 weeks would be in the range of $800-$1000 through AirBnB, or twice that for the 4-week intensive.
My husband, James, is a pastor in the United Church of Christ, meaning he doesn't make loads of money, and I'm currently working part-time. The CELTA training will require my dedicated time and energy, so I'll have to continue working only part-time while pursuing it. James will also be reducing his hours to part-time in the near future as our church shifts to a less expensive form of ministry, so our resources will be even more limited. That's why I need to ask for help in funding my training.
My prayer is to begin my studies in early 2017 so that I can be finished by summer. The deadline to apply for the January online course is December 26, but classes fill up quickly so I want to apply as soon as possible. The 4-week intensive course has a number of possible dates so I have more flexibility in application deadlines, but I would still want to apply as soon as I chose the course date.
Any help you can give me will be not just a contribution to me but to those in need of the help I can give them. I wish I could give you something directly in return for your donation, but all I can give is the assurance that you are helping someone make a new home where they are safe.
The best training program I have found that will enable me to teach within the next year is through Cambridge University in the UK (a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or CELTA). I can do much of the program online, with a 2-week practicum at one of their centers here in the US or Canada. Or a 4-week intensive course completely on site. My hope is to do the course, either online or on site, in Montreal to be sure that I have the appropriate skills to serve in Canada, until such time as the US moves to welcome significant numbers of refugees.
The CELTA program cost is $2500, and lodging in Montreal for 2 weeks would be in the range of $800-$1000 through AirBnB, or twice that for the 4-week intensive.
My husband, James, is a pastor in the United Church of Christ, meaning he doesn't make loads of money, and I'm currently working part-time. The CELTA training will require my dedicated time and energy, so I'll have to continue working only part-time while pursuing it. James will also be reducing his hours to part-time in the near future as our church shifts to a less expensive form of ministry, so our resources will be even more limited. That's why I need to ask for help in funding my training.
My prayer is to begin my studies in early 2017 so that I can be finished by summer. The deadline to apply for the January online course is December 26, but classes fill up quickly so I want to apply as soon as possible. The 4-week intensive course has a number of possible dates so I have more flexibility in application deadlines, but I would still want to apply as soon as I chose the course date.
Any help you can give me will be not just a contribution to me but to those in need of the help I can give them. I wish I could give you something directly in return for your donation, but all I can give is the assurance that you are helping someone make a new home where they are safe.
Organizer
Dianne de Mott
Organizer
Pittsfield, MA
