Mentor multilingual students with Language Corps!

One of the great things about AmeriCorps is that it has many types of programs that serve a wide variety of people. One of our newest programs – Language Corps – serves multilingual middle schoolers by helping them develop their English reading and writing. 

Ampact adopted Language Corps from Minneapolis Public Schools before the 2022-2023 service term. Katya served as a Language Development Tutor for one term before following the program over to our organization.

Members like Katya are placed in middle schools where they serve as mentors to students whose first language was not English. These students have been in the United States for at least five years, and they can speak and understand English. They just need some extra help reading and writing. All of Katya’s students come from Hispanic countries, but Language Development Tutors can have Somali, Hmong, Arabic, and other students from many cultures! 

Tutors support their students throughout the whole year inside and outside the classroom. They follow a schedule similar to a teacher’s, arriving before students in the morning and leaving after them in the afternoon. During the school day, they support their students’ language class and attend at least one other class of a different subject. Doing so ensures that students get support all day. Katya attends social studies with her students. 

“I get a unique perspective because I’m working more closely with students and can help develop that relationship between the students and their teacher,” she says. “A lot of times they’re afraid to speak up, to say they need help, or to say that they don’t understand something. If they feel comfortable telling me, I can direct them to resources.” 

On top of encouraging her students to use the resources available at their school, Katya has life experience that makes her a trustworthy source of guidance in her students’ lives. Her father immigrated to the U.S. from Bolivia, and she attended a Spanish immersion elementary school. 

“I know what it’s like to learn a second language, and I also know what it’s like to be a Spanish speaker in an English-dominant school,” she says. "I get questions from them all the time about my family, my background, about how my dad came to the states. They can relate to those stories. They see that there’s an adult who has a job, who is using both English and Spanish, and that they can do that as well. I think it builds a stronger relationship because they can relate to it in some way, or they can see what opportunities they have in the future.” 

Building those close relationships with her students allows Katya to support them in their personal lives as well. Serving with Language Corps, tutors set both academic and personal goals with their students. “‘It’s not always just about academics,” Katya says, “It’s also about their mental health. Developing those relationships is big because they can come to me instead of just shutting down in school.” 

AmeriCorps programs also provide their members with experience that can help them launch a career in their field of service. With training in tutoring techniques, linguistic justice, and immigration and education law and policy, Language Corps members are prepared for a variety of careers. 

“When I started, I thought it was a great idea to use the position to build the skills I need for my career goals,” Katya said. “But then I did this program and I found that there are more ways to be in schools other than being a teacher.” 

Language Development Tutors are needed throughout Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties starting in July 2023. Learn more and apply at ampact.us/language.