An evening ESL program utilizing empty classrooms

Hurtado CenterJesuit High School, Portland OR

Fr. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga (1901-1952)

• Founded in 1956 by Society of Jesus of the Oregon Province in Portland, Oregon.

– 1956 – 1993 all boys, 400 students

– coed in 1993, currently over 1150 students: ~ 620 female : 530 male

• 30% students > 50% tuition assistance• 50% students partial tuition assistance

JHS is located in the fertile Willamette Valley, just west of Mt. Hood and the Cascade mountains and east of the

Coastal Range and the Pacific Ocean.

Region of rich agriculture, wineries, and a growing hub for high-tech.

Silent Struggle

• Immigrants face a difficult road, increasingly so in the US today.

• Many long to integrate thoroughly, to speak the language and to work for their families

• 2000 US census: – the region around JHS has seen a 170% increase

in the number of foreign-born citizens since 1990. – approximately 20% of our neighbors do not speak

English in their homes

OREGON has a growing immigrant population that

desires to learn English.

“Hogar de Cristo”• JHS realized:

– the dramatically changing demographic of its neighbors (from rural farmers to urban immigrants)

– the need and desire by its neighbors for ESL instruction

– the valuable resource and opportunity that empty classrooms are to our neighbors

Opening our doors…the need is great.

• In the Fall of 2001, JHS began an evening adult education program for people who wanted to learn English as a second language.

• The Hurtado Center instructs approximately 150 people from the surrounding area during the evenings classes. – In the past six years the Hurtado Center has

served approximately 1,000 adult students and mentored nearly as many children.

Fr. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga“…Contento Señor, Contento.”

• 20thc. Chilean Jesuit Saint• Well-known for Hogar de

Cristo (Christ's Home) shelters for poor children in 1944– His shelters took in all children

in need of food and shelter, abandoned or not.

– He purchased an old green van and monitored the streets at night to help those in need.

– The shelters multiplied all over the country:• It is estimated that between 1945 and 1951 more than 850,000 children

received some help from the movement. • His own charisma brought him many collaborators and benefactors.

• Canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005Resource:http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20051023_cruchaga_en.html; (2 March 2008)

Hurtado Center, Portland Oregon

• English Language Acquisition Levels 1-4 • GED tutoring• Citizenship test tutoring• Computer Literacy • Elementary/Middle School tutoring/mentoring

– Monday, Wednesday, 7-9pm for four 10-week terms– Instruction and program direction is managed by one

paid director, Ms. Chely Castillo.– Program is heavily dependent upon JHS student and

adult volunteers: teachers, tutors, childcare

Our experience• Brinley Ducharme ’09

– Junior at Jesuit High School• “Working at the Hurtado Center

opened my eyes to the will power and devotion that a person can have when they want to accomplish something. I worked one-on-one with a woman who is about the same age as my mother, yet I was the one teaching her.”

• Kathryn Olson ’09– Junior at JHS

• “These students were laborers by day. Even though they probably worked all day, many still found the time to attend the English classes and have a great attitude.”

Our experience• Abigail Gary – ’09

– “I realized that during Los Embajadores and the Rural Immersion I have been the odd one out. The one who doesn’t speak the language well and sticks out. But those experiences only lasted a week. Here the roles were reversed. But then I realized that this experience is not over for them in a week. And they cannot simply go home after awhile. They face the feelings of frustration and discrimination every single day.”

Our experience• Emily Graff – ’09 JHS

– “I was surprised at how well all of the students could write in English after only taking classes for a few months. Most of all what really struck me was their desire to be at the Hurtado Center and learn as much as possible in two hours.”

– “I couldn’t believe the positive attitudes they all had after a long-day’s work…coming to this ESL program opened my eyes to the great desire there is to learn English in our city and in America.”

Our Experience• Elise Ferguson – ’09 JHS

"Studying with Gudelia was an interesting experience.  We introducedourselves quickly; then, we somewhat efficiently began to make our waythrough through her thick deck of flashcards....she supplied the answerswhile I was the back up on pronunciation.  Man, those questions were nojoke. They ranged in topic from government to American history. I'm notgoing to lie, they were challenging questions. I won't even pretend to haveknown all the answers because embarrassingly enough, even though I ameighteen years old and a fully registered participant in the United Statesdemocratic process who has also taken two years of American history andgovernment, I wasn't sure that I could have passed....I had never beforethought about what I take for granted as a naturally born United Statescitizen…

"I respect Gudelia so much for her hard work and determination. She has the strength and fortitude to study the English language, to work towardsbecoming an official citizen of the United States, and to create a betterlife for herself and her family."

Open your doors…the need is great.

• How do you take an idea like this back to your school?

– Assess the need– Gather support– Address the administration– You can start small…