Purchase College Presents Free English Classes

Purchase College, SUNY has announced Free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Classes on campus. This program is organized by Casa Purchase, an Outreach Center for Latin American Studies, in partnership with the Westchester Hispanic Coalition and the Office for New Americans of New York State.

“The ESOL program reflects two core values of Purchase College: To fulfill our responsibility as a public institution serving the larger Westchester community, and instill a sense of social responsibility in our students,” says Suzanne Kessler, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College. “It also provides convenient English lessons on site for some of our valued campus employees who have expressed interest.”

Classes at the beginner, intermediate, and intermediate/advanced levels will be taught by TESOL certified instructors, with Purchase College students as learning assistants.

Classes are currently being offered at three different times:

· Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

· Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

· Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Leandro Benmergui, assistant professor of history and coordinator of Latin American Studies at Purchase College, heads Casa Purchase, which serves as a hub of collaboration between the college and local communities. Launched during the summer of 2014, Casa Purchase has several initiatives in motion in addition to the free English classes. These include internships for Purchase students to provide service-learning opportunities in the local community, creative youth development programs for Westchester high school students, and a Transmedia Oral History Lab.

According to Benmergui, “Casa Purchase weaves together the educational, artistic, and research opportunities at Purchase College with the needs of local residents, officials, schools, and organizations.” He adds, “The major in Latin American Studies at Purchase College is designed as a multidisciplinary immersion experience that prepares students for life in a globalized world.”

The English classes are free and open to the public; however, registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact: gheymann@hispaniccoalition.org or casa@purchase.edu, (914) 948-8466. For more information on Casa Purchase, visit www.purchase.edu/casapurchase.