Help Kenny Learn Portuguese To Help His Students
Donación protegida
I love my job and my students but I’m lacking one critical skill…PORTUGUESE!
I’m already native fluent in Spanish and proficient in French, but Brazilian immigrant students are my fastest-growing group. Frankly, I’m doing them a disservice without having proficiency in their language. The one hour I dedicate daily to learning Portuguese – with Duolingo and Babbel – simply won’t provide me the sufficient foundation to properly support my Brazilian students.
So I’m going to spend my Summer break in Brazil, studying Portuguese and immersing myself in Brazilian culture. Quero falar português e ajudar meus alunos a aprender!
I found the perfect school in Rio de Janeiro – Rio & Learn. I’ll have 8 hours of one-on-one language immersion (conversation and grammar in the classroom and practical application throughout the city), alongside nightly group social activities, all in Portuguese. During the day I’ll have a teacher dedicated to me, tailoring every class to my evolving personal and professional needs, including lunch with the teacher. During the night, after the evening activities, I’ll have the opportunity to speak Portuguese with my host family. From day one English is strictly prohibited in the school building and during all out-of-school activities…Não vejo a hora de chegar!
Whether you can donate, share my campaign with a friend, or simply share some words of encouragement, I will greatly appreciate your generosity and kindness. Echoing Rio & Learn’s motto, I truly believe that learning (and teaching) can change the world!
My story…
My name is Kenny Galloway, born and raised in Worthington, Ohio. I have two bachelor’s degrees, in Spanish Linguistics and International Business, from The Ohio State University (2003), including a one-year international exchange in Mexico. I have a Master's in Public Administration, specializing in Human Development and Human Rights, from Sciences Po in France (2010). My masters included a one-year capstone project in South Africa and additional field research in Singapore and China. After my studies, in 2014-2016, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, in Mexico, teaching English and advising the national math institute in business management and technology transfer. In between it all I’ve lived and worked throughout Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa, as a freelance management consultant. However, at the core, my biggest passions and missions in life have always been education, languages, community outreach, cooking, and music production.
After 20 years of living and working abroad, I’m excited to be back home, giving back and paying it forward to my Worthington community. I’m in my second year as a Bilingual Education Assistant in Central Ohio, supporting emergent English, immigrant students, their families, and my fellow teachers and administrators.
Every day is truly a new adventure in education. Although I’m not a licensed social worker, 50% of my job is dedicated directly to community welfare and social development. Here’s a little peek into a typical week as a Bilingual Education Assistant, supporting my schools' English Learners (ELs)…
- I co-teach 6 classes of history, math, and science at two local high schools.
- I provide additional support to many other courses as needs arise.
- I work with our school psychologists and mental health specialists with emotional development and mental health crises, including the creation of resources and tools.
- I work with school counselors and families, providing additional support and helping to ensure our at-risk students graduate.
- I interpret for parent/teacher conferences, disciplinary hearings, legal matters, and a myriad of other social and academic activities across the district.
- I translate academic and administrative documents for teachers, families, and leadership.
- I help coordinate community outreach efforts, establishing relationships with non-profit organizations and other local resources that provide socioeconomic relief to our students and families.
- I help program and manage ad hoc projects, like Hispanic Heritage Month.
- I respond daily to questions and evolving needs from my students’ families–including social and economic crisis support.
I love my Worthington family…the teachers, administrators, and most importantly the students and families I serve. But despite all I do to support my students, naturally, it’s impossible to fill in all of the gaps, with such a diverse, international group (over 1,500 students live in homes where languages other than English are spoken, roughly 15% of the district). Although my heart reaches out to all of my students, currently my biggest disservice is to my Brazilian students. They represent about one-third of the students I currently support. In fact, the number of native Portuguese speakers grew by 337% in the last 4 years. Here are some additional numbers for more perspective.
- 710 “English Learners” (ELs) are enrolled throughout the district.
- 131 speak Portuguese as their primary language.
- 53 Brazilian students have enrolled just in the last 2 years.
Please help me change their world…Por favor me ajudem a mudar o mundo deles!
Every donation makes a difference…By supporting my continuing education and professional development, you are helping me provide my students a more secure pathway to success. All students should have equal opportunities in their education and a fair chance to obtain their high school diplomas.
I need to raise $8,000 before May 27th. Your donation will be used in the following ways:
- Roundtrip flight to Rio de Janeiro ($1,275)
- Tuition for “Rio & Immersion” private course, one month in June ($2,875)
- Tuition for “LiveBusiness!” private course, one month in July ($2,875)
- Host family rent for two months ($820)
- Additional learning resources while in Brazil, i.e. books, complementary courses, event and site fees, transportation, etc. ($155+)
- Any extra money I raise will be used to purchase additional learning resources for my students, and my continued Portuguese studies and certificates.
Free Online Class Offer – To express their gratitude and support of my mission, my language school in Rio is offering a free online class to anyone donating to my fundraiser. I'll send you a private message with all of the details and the promo code.
Thank you for reading my story. I appreciate everyone's support, no matter how big or small! If possible, please share my fundraiser link on social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and with your family and friends. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you for your love and generosity!
Kenny
PS: If you prefer to donate offline, please let me know so I can give you my mailing address.
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PROGRAM DETAILS
Rio & Immersion
June 2022 / Program Description
One month, 8 hours daily, one-on-one, M-F "A total Immersion Portuguese course where you will learn Portuguese so fast, you won’t believe it. You can reach an advanced level in Portuguese in 4 weeks if you are a Latin language speaker.” (like me!)
LiveBusiness!
July 2022 / Progam Description
One month, 8 hours daily, one-on-one, M-F “Learn Portuguese quickly, focused on your job. (...) an intensive immersion course with a teacher dedicated to you, and you'll work on topics and issues related to your business communication and talk about your own company or sector.” (#BilingualEducation #SocialWork)
#RioLIVE
June & July 2022 / Program Description
7 days a week, 2-3 hours, in-group “Activities in Rio de Janeiro that we offer each evening to discover the city, while you practice your Portuguese following our #LiveLearning method.”
Rio & Learn’s website #FunLearning
#KennyLearnsPortuguese #ItsWorthIt #LanguageSuperpower
Organizador
Kenny Galloway
Organizador
Columbus, OH