English for the Elderly and Challenge Camp by AYLUS San Diego
A Project Funded by Alliance of Chinese Americans San Diego
Chengda Li
Team Members
Chengming Li, Jonathan Backues
Chengming Li, Jonathan Backues
Background
We offer two types of events: our English for the Elderly events and our Online Challenge Camp events. Our English for the Elderly events are designed to help teach elderly immigrants English. The curriculum is centered around teaching them phrases they can use frequently in everyday settings. During the class, the elderly are tutored one-on-one by high school volunteers fluent in English. In the past, we have hosted this event in person, and even made it onto local newspapers for our success. However, due to the pandemic, the efforts of our English for the Elderly event are more important than ever. In this pandemic, the elderly are the most vulnerable from the virus. It is absolutely vital that we teach our Elderly how to confidently communicate with others in English, ensuring that they can order food more easily and ask for help if necessary.
Our Challenge Camp events are designed to help educate students between grades K-8 on a variety of subjects. We have numerous one-on-one classes in the following categories: language, music, math, and science. Just like our English for the Elderly class, students are tutored one-on-one by experienced high school volunteers. We have hosted these events in the past. However, our Challenge Camps are especially important during this pandemic, as according to the Washington Post, “the schools of more than 90 percent of the world’s enrolled students have closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.” Many of these closed schools, such as the numerous elementary and middle schools in San Diego, do not have an option to provide students with online learning.
Our free Challenge Camps give students who do not have an option to learn online with an opportunity to keep learning during these harsh times. Every online class, we have upwards of 70 students attending our classes, with many students sending us positive reviews after class. We are even in the designs of opening classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays in addition to those on the weekends, due to overwhelming requests from students. For the past two months, we hosted these events using donations from generous donors. However, due to all the current donations being used up by the end of June, and future donations being unpredictable, we decided that it would be in the best interest of many to apply for the ACA COVID-19 Project grant.
We offer two types of events: our English for the Elderly events and our Online Challenge Camp events. Our English for the Elderly events are designed to help teach elderly immigrants English. The curriculum is centered around teaching them phrases they can use frequently in everyday settings. During the class, the elderly are tutored one-on-one by high school volunteers fluent in English. In the past, we have hosted this event in person, and even made it onto local newspapers for our success. However, due to the pandemic, the efforts of our English for the Elderly event are more important than ever. In this pandemic, the elderly are the most vulnerable from the virus. It is absolutely vital that we teach our Elderly how to confidently communicate with others in English, ensuring that they can order food more easily and ask for help if necessary.
Our Challenge Camp events are designed to help educate students between grades K-8 on a variety of subjects. We have numerous one-on-one classes in the following categories: language, music, math, and science. Just like our English for the Elderly class, students are tutored one-on-one by experienced high school volunteers. We have hosted these events in the past. However, our Challenge Camps are especially important during this pandemic, as according to the Washington Post, “the schools of more than 90 percent of the world’s enrolled students have closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.” Many of these closed schools, such as the numerous elementary and middle schools in San Diego, do not have an option to provide students with online learning.
Our free Challenge Camps give students who do not have an option to learn online with an opportunity to keep learning during these harsh times. Every online class, we have upwards of 70 students attending our classes, with many students sending us positive reviews after class. We are even in the designs of opening classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays in addition to those on the weekends, due to overwhelming requests from students. For the past two months, we hosted these events using donations from generous donors. However, due to all the current donations being used up by the end of June, and future donations being unpredictable, we decided that it would be in the best interest of many to apply for the ACA COVID-19 Project grant.
Goal
We aim to offer aid to struggling students and elderly immigrants during this pandemic through online classes, which already receive a consistent 70 participants per class.
We aim to offer aid to struggling students and elderly immigrants during this pandemic through online classes, which already receive a consistent 70 participants per class.
Method
-Create, publish, and advertise attendance sign-up spreadsheets regarding our events. -Advertise/popularize our events on social media to help the most amount of people. -Instruct volunteer-teachers to construct lesson plans before classes. -Host 1.5 hour long online Challenge Camp classrooms on Zoom.us with several breakout-rooms to allow for private classes for our students (lest music classes disrupt others) on Saturdays. -Host 1.5 hour long online English for the Elderly classrooms on Zoom.us with several breakout-rooms to allow for private classes for our students on Sundays. -Written reports about both the classes (on aylus.org/branches/san-diego-ca/). -Gather feedback on social media from students, document lessons and curriculum for review.
-Create, publish, and advertise attendance sign-up spreadsheets regarding our events. -Advertise/popularize our events on social media to help the most amount of people. -Instruct volunteer-teachers to construct lesson plans before classes. -Host 1.5 hour long online Challenge Camp classrooms on Zoom.us with several breakout-rooms to allow for private classes for our students (lest music classes disrupt others) on Saturdays. -Host 1.5 hour long online English for the Elderly classrooms on Zoom.us with several breakout-rooms to allow for private classes for our students on Sundays. -Written reports about both the classes (on aylus.org/branches/san-diego-ca/). -Gather feedback on social media from students, document lessons and curriculum for review.
Update
Progress Report:
Updates: For the Summer, we opened a Wednesday Challenge Camp and a Thursday EfE in order to better accommodate the students
Total Hours: 18
7/8 Challenge Camp:
7/9 English for the Elderly:
7/11 Challenge Camp:
7/16 English for the Elderly:
7/18 Challenge Camp:
7/19 English for the Elderly:
7/22 Challenge Camp:
7/23 English for the Elderly:
7/25 Challenge Camp:
7/26 English for the elderly:
7/29 Challenge Camp:
7/30 English for the Elderly
8/5 Challenge Camp:
8/6 English for the Elderly:
Updates: For the Summer, we opened a Wednesday Challenge Camp and a Thursday EfE in order to better accommodate the students
Total Hours: 18
7/8 Challenge Camp:
- 40 participants
- Taught subjects: French (Beginner), English writing, Piano, clarinet, Cello, Coding(Java), chess, and Art
- 9 Volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report: http://aylus.org/2020/07/14/san-diego-branch-organized-the-15th-ever-online-challenge-camp-on-july-8th-2020/
7/9 English for the Elderly:
- 24 participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 12 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- http://aylus.org/2020/07/25/san-diego-branch-hosted-the-16th-online-english-for-the-elderly-program-on-july-9th-2020/
7/11 Challenge Camp:
- 71 participants
- Taught subjects: Chinese , English writing, Spanish, Parliamentary debate, Public Forum Debate, Piano, clarinet, Cello, sax, flute, Coding(Java), and chess
- 23 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report: http://aylus.org/2020/07/16/san-diego-branch-organized-the-16th-ever-online-challenge-camp-on-july-11th-2020/
7/16 English for the Elderly:
- 22 Participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 11 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
7/18 Challenge Camp:
- 61 Participants
- Taught Subjects: Chinese, English, Spanish, Parliamentary Debate, Public Forum Debate, Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Saxophone, Flute, Coding, and Chess
- 24 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/19 English for the Elderly:
- 26 participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 13 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/22 Challenge Camp:
- 36 participants
- Taught subjects: Chinese, English, Spanish, Parliamentary Debate, Public Forum Debate, Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Saxophone, Flute, Coding, and Chess
- Ten volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/23 English for the Elderly:
- 22 Participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 11 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/25 Challenge Camp:
- 73 participants
- Taught subjects: Chinese, English, Spanish, Parliamentary Debate, Public Forum Debate, Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Saxophone, Flute, Coding, and Chess
- 23 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/26 English for the elderly:
- 30 participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 15 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/29 Challenge Camp:
- 40 participants
- Taught subjects: Chinese, English, Spanish, Parliamentary Debate, Public Forum Debate, Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Saxophone, Flute, Coding, and Chess
- Ten volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
7/30 English for the Elderly
- 24 participants
- Taught lessons using TV shows, chatting, online resources, Quizlets, and conversation transcripts.
- 12 volunteers
- 1.5 hours
- Report:
8/5 Challenge Camp:
- Report in progress
8/6 English for the Elderly:
- Report in Progress