LYNNWOOD — The conversation usually is a jumble of English and Spanish in the simple orange building a block away from Edmonds Community College.
The evening of June 3 was no exception. Treats sat out on a table in a freshly painted yellow room on the first floor.
Students and teachers were celebrating the grand opening of the new classroom for the Latino Educational Training Institute. The nonprofit is focused on helping Latino teens and adults further their education. The organization puts together leadership and mentoring opportunities for teens who want help in college. It also gives Spanish-speaking adults a place to learn English and study other subjects they need to know to earn their GED.
The new classroom is mainly for the adult classes. The GED program is growing, from 10 students when it started in 2012 to 25 in the current class. Fifty-five people have earned their GED through the program, which is put on in partnership with Edmonds Community College. The college administers the testing in Spanish as well as English, said Rosario Reyes, founder and CEO of the Latino Educational Training Institute.
“Our goal is to get people educated and get them to work to better their lives,” said Tom Laing, who has been the training center coordinator and grant writer for the nonprofit since Jan. 1.
After earning their GED, students also can pursue college or certificate programs, depending on how well they speak and read English.
“It’s filling a need that’s not being addressed elsewhere,” Laing said. “We really fill the gap of people transitioning from GED to the college level and workforce. It’s real-world, workforce instruction.”
Jose Vargas teaches math and science for the program. Going over topics such as fractions and geometry with his students, he watches them fight to master both the math concepts and the wording of questions.
“I think the biggest challenge is to react and learn and understand simultaneously,” Vargas said. “Sometimes we fight with a problem. They’re reading, but they’re not understanding at the same time. But by the end, they are reading and understanding simultaneously.”
Nancy Cabrera, 27, of Lake Stevens has been a student since last year. She volunteers at her children’s schools but wants to get a job there. She needs her GED to qualify.
“Every day, you learn more and learn new things,” she said. “You develop more as a person. I want to grow as a person and as a student. I want to be an example for my children.”
Reyes hopes to continue to expand the GED classes and add new programs at the institute. It recently received a $20,000 grant from BECU for a new effort to train people of all ages how to explain homeownership — mortgages, credit history, realtors, taxes — to their friends, family and neighbors. The goal is to make buying a house less intimidating for Latino families and to educate the community by sending familiar faces out with new information, Reyes said.
Jean Hernandez, president of Edmonds Community College, has worked closely with the institute and sees the organization as an example of how a community can create educational opportunities for itself and increase options for students of all ages and backgrounds.
At the end of the day, people walk away with a better chance at finding work and getting their feet under them, she said.
“It helps people support their families, and that’s a win-win,” Hernandez said.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Learn more
For more information or to donate to the Latino Educational Training Institute, go to www.letiwa.org.
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