Volunteer with Our Basic English Program for Afghan Women Refugees (Austin, Texas)
If you live in Austin, TX, we invite you to find out more about volunteering in our Basic English School for Afghan women refugees. This vibrant program is run by women ESL teachers and volunteers exclusively for women students.
Like all LLT volunteer opportunities, we want to make it easy for you to participate. But because our Basic English Program is an in-person opportunity assisting a vulnerable population, we do have a few requirements for volunteering at the school. We will discuss these in more detail once you are registered to volunteer.
Program Details
Dates: Classes meet weekly on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with a few breaks throughout the year.
Time: 10am-12pm (volunteers may be asked to arrive early or stay a bit later depending on the day's activities).
Location: Faith Presbyterian Church, 1314 E. Oltorf St. (in South Austin, right off I-35 and Oltorf).
Class structure: Approximately 22 women students attend either a Level 1 or Level 2 class, both of which are taught by our ESL instructors.
Volunteer Details
Driver: This opportunity allows you to drive women to/from their apartments to school. It's about a 10-minute drive each way.
Tea Time!: Set up/take down tea service, which provides a much-needed break at 11am for our hardworking students and provides you with a chance to chat with the women in a casual manner.
Classroom Support: Our teachers and especially our students love our volunteers who provide 1:1 support for specific classroom assignments or hold small-group conversations with students on class-related topics.
Translator: If you speak Pashto or Dari, we’d love your help translating for our students.
Flexibility! Volunteers are not required to commit to a set schedule or certain number of days or hours. However, we prefer that volunteers commit to a specific day of the week to provide consistency to our teachers and learners. Our only request is that if you sign up and can't make it, please let us know at your earliest convenience.
Note: If you decide to become a Basic English School volunteer, we do require a background check (cost is $21 -- assistance available if needed). Drivers need to provide LLT with a driver's license and proof of auto insurance.
Come visit our school and see what we're all about!
You can meet our teachers and students, talk with other volunteers, and see the program in action!
To schedule a visit, please contact Sheri Pepper, Program Manager, at [email protected].
