Our fall/winter settlement classes wrapped up on December 14, and the community came together on December 16 for a holiday celebration. Great fun was had by all. Classmates, teachers, and guests enjoyed delicious food and drinks, and got to know each other outside of the classroom.
We are happy and grateful to be able to grow our Settlement programming this year thanks to an extraordinarily generous grant from the Van Otterloo Family Foundation. We received $40,000 to cover instruction and materials for five classes – three ESL classes at varying levels and two citizenship classes. In the past we have only had the capacity to provide one citizenship class per session. Having two will allow more students to attend and apply for citizenship.
The mission of the Van Otterloo Family Foundation is “to provide support for educational enterprises that demonstrate innovation and excellence in teaching and learning while placing emphasis on the potential of all individuals, target unmet educational needs, or provide an exemplary educational program.” We are honored by the foundation’s recognition and grant assistance that allows us to continue our founder’s vision of service to underserved populations in Salem.
The winter/spring sessions will run January 25-June 30. For more information, email kdulmage@7gables.org or call 978-306-7001.