The Division of Adult and Continuing Education at LaGuardia Community College (CUNY) in Queens, New York City serves a large number of Spanish-speaking, English language learner adults in a range of no-cost or fee-based ESOL and GED in Spanish programs. A core mission of the division is to provide access for its non-credit students and alumnae/i to college and career pathways advisement in tandem with proficiency skills development, leading to credential attainment, college matriculation, and gateway course success.
This presentation will explore how LaGuardia has implemented a comprehensive set of initiatives to supports its continuing education students in a) embarking on and navigating the college planning and application process leading to matriculation at a community college, and b) achieving the language proficiency skills gains required for success in academic gateway courses or workforce credentialing.
College Going Outreach and Workshops:
Through the use of technology, LaGuardia has, at minimal cost, expanded outreach and recruitment efforts to its incumbent ESOL and GED Spanish students and to its non-credit alumnae/i to promote the benefits of higher education, while collecting the data needed to provide enhanced advisement for these populations, including through ESOL-scaffolded lessons that use university policy and topics, such as college credits, academic majors, and financial aid, as content. This has furthered the college’s strategic plan of strengthening its non-credit to credit enrollment pipeline and serving the needs of the local Queens immigrant community, where many non-traditional and first-generation student are represented.
Non-credit Academic ESOL and Integrated Workforce ESOL Courses:
LaGuardia’s CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) is a low-cost continuing education course option, available before any financial aid is utilized, that provides intensive (25-hours week) academic English preparation for students placed in remedial ESL levels upon entry in the college. CLIP has been an effective pathway for WIOA Title II (ESOL and GED Spanish) exiters who are interested and eligible for college entry but who require additional proficiency development support at a low price point before gateway English composition course entry.
LaGuardia’s Center for Immigrant Education and Training (CIET) department’s ESOL Bridge to Food Safety, ESOL Bridge to Site Safety Training, and ESOL Bridge to Healthcare are three examples of integrated education and training (IET) courses that have provided access to workforce credentialing pathways for intermediate level English language learners interested in the food service, construction, and healthcare sectors.