English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program: One of our most popular program areas, VACA has provided ESOL classes for nearly twenty years. We offer classes to members of our community who possess the lowest-level of English language skills. Currently, we offer three levels of English language instruction on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to 9pm; and four levels of instruction on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9am to 12pm. We also provide counseling and referral services to clients who are not eligible for our classes but interested in pursuing English education elsewhere in Boston.
Please contact Toby Maguire, the Education and Employment Services Director at extension *819 or tmaguire@vacaboston.org for more information regarding our ESOL Program.
Citizenship Classes and Counseling Services: VACA has always emphasized the importance of citizenship to our constituency. Currently, we offer preparation classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9am to 12pm to community members interested in obtaining their U.S. citizenship. We also have a counselor on staff to assist community members with filing their applications and prepare them for the citizenship examination.
Please contact the office receptionist at (617) 288-7344 for more information regarding our Citizenship activities.
Computer Literacy Classes: In addition to English language skills, VACA also recognizes that our clients must develop other skills to become competitive in the job market and to better enhance their lives. Computer skills are no longer a specialized skill but a necessity in today’s world. As a result, we offer basic computer literacy classes to our constituents. Computer classes are offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9am to 12pm. We also include computer literacy activities in the curriculum of our ESOL Program.
Please contact the office receptionist at (617) 288-7344 for more information regarding our Computer Literacy classes.
Employment Services Counseling: VACA does the best it can to assist our clients with the resettlement process here in the United States. Since financial security is an immediate and pressing need, we work hard to help community members find and keep jobs. Our job developer assists clients in developing a résumé, preparing for interviews, and identifying places of potential employment. Since English language skills have been identified by past and current employers working closely with VACA as an essential skill to have in order to be employed, our job developer also works closely with staff on our ESOL Program to insure that clients are receive language instruction when needed.
Please contact the VACA at (617) 288-7344 for more information regarding our Employment Services Counseling.
