Midland YMCA Employment & Learning Services is inviting the community to an open house event to introduce its new English as a Second Language (ESL) Tutoring program.
Join them on Saturday, June 15, from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Midland YMCA Health, Fitness & Aquatics Centre, located at 560 Little Lake Park Road, to learn more about this vital new initiative, meet the dedicated tutors, and connect with other community members and organizations.
The new ESL Tutoring program aims to provide much-needed language support to newcomers in the Midland area, many of whom face significant challenges when settling into a new country. By offering accessible English lessons, the program helps newcomers improve their language skills, enhancing their ability to find and retain employment and facilitating smoother integration into the community.
Key Highlights of the Open House:
- Introduction to the Program: Learn about the ESL Tutoring program, which began in April 2024, and is available for adults during the week and on Saturdays. There are also special classes for children starting at age 3 on Saturdays.
- Meet the Tutors: Engage with the passionate and skilled volunteers who have dedicated their time to supporting this initiative.
- Community Connections: Connect with community partners and learn about additional local services available to newcomers.
The launch of this program is an exciting achievement for the YMCA and the Midland community that has been two years in the making, explained Irina Ayres, Employment Specialist at Midland YMCA Employment & Learning Services.
“The foundation of the ESL Tutoring program started in March 2022, when newcomers, largely Ukrainian evacuees, began arriving in Midland,” shared Ayres. “People came to the employment centre to look for work, and I quickly realized that they would need to attend English as a Second Language classes to be able to find employment, retain employment, and settle in the region.
"As a newcomer myself, I know the challenges that face people new to the country first-hand, and that support is limited in rural Ontario.”
With unwavering support from her colleagues, Ayres initiated English Conversation Circles once a week, which eventually grew into a robust volunteer-led initiative. Despite early funding challenges, the community's collaborative spirit led to the creation of the ESL Tutoring program, now held in a dedicated space at the Midland YMCA Health, Fitness & Aquatics Centre.
“This volunteer-based program has been made possible thanks to the great collaboration between the YMCA Employment & Learning Services and Health, Fitness & Aquatics teams, and the hard work of the volunteers,” said Ayres. “Today, we offer classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the mornings and evenings. We have more than 35 participants registered. It is a place where families feel safe, welcome, and supported by the community.
“The program started to help newcomers in Midland learn enough English to apply for and retain employment, a critical piece in the settlement process,” Ayres noted. “Two years later, we have enough volunteer teachers to fully support English language development, and YMCA Immigrant Services has added weekly settlement counselling through the Employment Services site in Midland. It’s important for us, as a community, to help people who have escaped very difficult circumstances, including war, who have chosen to start their new lives in Canada, and let them know that they are not alone."
The YMCA would like to thank the Midland Public Library, who supplied classroom space and purchased critical resources over the past two years for the program. They would also like to thank the Huronia Community Foundation, who funded much-needed transportation for students attending the program. For more information about the ESL Tutoring Program Open House or YMCA Employment & Learning Services programs, contact [email protected] or call 705-528-0845.
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