CAS Group Recognized by Superintendent
Aprendiendo Inglés Sólido (AIS) is a CAS group that was founded in 2002. The purpose of the group is to be of aid to the Hispanic primary school community in Atlanta. AIS is a non-profit organization that runs on donations and student-held fundraisers, which help cover the costs of the materials that are purchased for educational reasons.
Only two years ago the group started tutoring at one location with ten volunteers; now, the group has grown to incorporate three public schools, a church, and has been powered recently by about 60 volunteers. The AIS group is unique because it is for students by students; thus, all activities are coordinated by the students themselves. From Wednesdays to Saturdays, AIS volunteers are at different locations tutoring and fulfilling their goal by assisting over 80 children.
Volunteers help students in an array of areas, from reading to pronunciation to homework. Furthermore, the program also incorporates stories, games, and arts and crafts which further facilitate the process of learning English. With special activities for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and St. Valentine’s Day, the children better assimilate the American culture they are surrounded by daily.
At the beginning, AIS pioneers thought that having bilingual tutors would be more beneficial; however, this is not the case. These two years have proven that having only English speakers around has also been helpful.
Aprendiendo Inglés Sólido was recognized by the Latin American Association. Blair Cushing presented certificates to AIS pioneers in 2003 for their impact on the Hispanic community. Also, the group received recognition from State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox: “In Georgia, we are working very hard to close the achievement gap for our Hispanic students. In fact, this year we saw tremendous improvement in the achievement of our Limited English Proficient students on the 3rd Grade CRCT reading test,” said Cox. “Our public schools are doing a great job continuing this dramatic improvement, but their efforts to boost student achievement are even more successful when there is ongoing community support from organizations like yours. Thank you for your hard work and support of public education.”
Presently, Amigos, the Spanish Parent Association at Atlanta International School, under the leadership of Begoña Cintrón, wishes to support the group’s efforts by increasing parent participation in these community service efforts. If you are interested in being part of Aprendiendo Inglés Sólido please contact adult supervisor, Ms. Lily Medina, lmedina@aischool.org.