Programs at Neighbors Link

EDUCATE

At the core of the Neighbors Link mission, education programs provide immigrants with the most essential tools for successful integration. Since our constituents at Neighbors Link are typically from rural areas of Guatemala, schooling was not always an option. Most male children are expected to work in the fields by 8 years of age. That's why education is key to the future of our whole community. Once exposed to classroom learning, students at Neighbors Link are eager to learn more.

Adult ESL Education |  Children's Education   |  Family Programs   |  Skills Development

Adult ESL Education

 
Neighbors Link annually provides 54,683 student hours of ESL instruction (English as a second language).

Westchester Community College ESL Classes
Through our partnership with Westchester Community College (WCC), 145 Neighbors Link clients receive professionally-led classes in English as a Second Language (ESL) each week, onsite at the center.

WCC-led ESL classes are held in our Hiring Site Monday through Friday, for three hours each morning. Evening classes led by WCC instructors at four levels meet twice weekly, totaling five hours of instruction per week, per student. A new Intensive WCC ESL Class has been launched on Saturdays, running from 9:00am to 3:00pm.

Volunteer ESL Tutoring
Volunteers from throughout the community provide thousands of hours of one-onone, group conversation and classroom-style English language tutoring to more than 200 Neighbors Link learners each year.

Volunteer ESL classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Monday through Thursday afternoons, and Sunday mornings. From high school students to retirees, Neighbors Link volunteers are committed teachers and fully-engaged ambassadors for the Neighbors Link mission.

Rosetta Stone
With the help of dedicated volunteer tutors, English language learners access the Rosetta Stone program on Monday and Friday afternoons.

Children's Education

   
"Neighbors Link is a remarkable resource to our teachers, our district staff and to parents...and offers wonderful opportunities and support to so many children" -Dr. Jere Hochman, Superintendent, Bedford Central School District

Learning Links
Our ever-expanding Learning Links program now offers a nurturing after-school environment for 60 children of low-income families, onsite at the Mount Kisco Elementary School. The program provides one-on-one academic and homework assistance and a variety of enrichment activities to elementary school pupils. More info...

Summer Links
Presented in partnership with Mount Kisco Elementary School, the “Summer Links” morning program runs daily through the month of July. “Summer Links” focuses on academics including math and reading, as well as arts programming and other enrichment activities for 50 children of low-income families.

Pipeline Scholars Program
The Pipeline Scholars Program is designed to help students and their parents make the transition from elementary to middle school, and beyond. The families involved have all agreed to be guided together as a group, from 6th through 12th grade, by a collaboration involving the Bedford Central School District, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, the Mount Kisco Police Department and Neighbors Link. All partners are committed to mentoring the students and families to a successful high school graduation.

Family Programs

  
87% of Neighbors Link ESL learners read more with their rchildren than before taking the class.

Common Sense Parenting
A new program at Neighbors Link, Common Sense Parenting (CSP) is a practical, skill-based initiative that addresses issues of communication, discipline, decision making, self-control and academic achievement. Specific topic areas include consequences, consistency, helping children succeed in school and learning together through art.

Children's Evening Program While parents attend evening classes and programs at Neighbors Link, their children are provided supervised learning and enrichment activities in nearby classrooms.

Parents as Teachers Collaboration
Through this collaborative, comprehensive project, the Bedford Central School District offers weekly one-on-one home visits to a select number of immigrant mothers with infants. The visits are enhanced by monthly group parenting sessions at Neighbors Link.
The Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum is an effective program for underserved parents of preschool children. PAT promotes school readiness and healthy development of young children. Parents learn and teach alphabet letters, numbers, early reading and identification skills. During the group sessions mothers and infants are able to reinforce and expand their newly acquired parenting skills.

Education Partners
Neighbors Link partnerships with the Bedford Central School District, Bedford Hills Elementary School, The Hackley School, Horace Greeley High School, Mount Kisco Elementary School, Mount Kisco Public Library, Rippowam Cisqua School, Sarah Lawrence College, West Patent Elementary School and Westchester Community College, continue to provide families with the educational support and access that is vital to their integration.

Skills Development

Eco-Cleaning
The Eco-Cleaning Training Program at Neighbors Link has now trained and certified over 70 women to clean homes and businesses using organic cleaning products that are not harmful or toxic to themselves or the environments in which they work. Eco-Cleaning students also learn effective work habits, customer service and business management skills. Graduates of this vital economic program are starting their own businesses and successfully finding work through our Job Bank.

Latin Sol Sewing Program
In the Latin Sol Sewing Program, students embark on a two-year training and mentoring program to learn how to create a variety of home furnishings and articles of clothing. The skills equip women to meet some of their families’ needs and to earn extra income. Participation in the program also provides women with an important support community and social network.

Computer Class
Our Computer Class teaches computer fundamentals to new learners, including parents who wish to acquire basic computer skills to keep up with their children’s school work and more fully participate in their school life.