On a Wednesday morning in December, seven adult students stared at a small white board in a meeting room on the University of Nebraska Omaha’s campus. Written on the board in erasable marker was a tongue-twister: “Lolly let Lisa light her lantern.”
Kerry Ecklebe and Lori Ecklebe, who are sisters, sat at the front of the class and asked their students to recite the tricky phrase one by one. They co-teach this English language class through Learning for ALL, a nonprofit organization that offers free education courses for immigrants, refugees and adults in Omaha.
Although students in the class come from four different native countries, they meet weekly for the same reason — to improve their English and achieve their goals in the U.S.
Denise, a Cuban woman who moved to Omaha almost a year ago, worked as a general and family doctor in Cuba and attends the class so she can take a nursing exam in English and ultimately practice medicine in a U.S. hospital. Soo Jin, a Korean woman, left South Korea last February for her husband’s job and joined the class to improve her English.
Twenty-five-year-old Jorge, who has lived in Omaha for a year, wants to strengthen his English and open his own Peruvian grocery store.
“We need that here in Omaha,” he said.
It can be challenging to get around Omaha without knowing how to speak English proficiently. The lack of translation and interpretation services makes it harder for about seven percent of residents in Douglas County who say they speak English “less than very well,” according to survey results from the U.S. Census. Learning for ALL’s courses aim to help make life easier for those whose second language is English, no matter how much previous education they had in their home country.
“Everyone who comes to us is in a very different place,” said John Nania, the executive director of Learning for ALL. “We try to understand what adults’ goals are and what their educational background is so they have the best opportunity for success.”
Learning for ALL students come from 59 different countries and speak 53 languages collectively, according to Nania. The free classes are available in-person and online so students who work can find a time that fits with their schedule.
“We try to remove all the barriers and obstacles that a lot of adults face,” Nania said.
Many of the adults in the program work, have kids in school or are low-income, according to Nania. Courses are flexible to students’ individual learning styles, and the organization offers one-on-one tutoring thanks to volunteer mentors.
While many programs in Omaha focus on youth education, Learning For ALL courses have intentionally focused on adults since it began in 2018.
“Unfortunately once you pass the age of 18 the resources and opportunities that are available to you really diminish quickly,” Nania said. “We saw the void and said we need to fill that void.”
Learning for ALL also offers adult basic education, or ABE, programming for people who aren’t yet the 9th grade level of education required to enroll in a GED program. ABE programs are “like a bridge” to the GED, Nania said, and earning the GED can be a stepping stone to better jobs, wages and higher education opportunities. The organization currently partners with Douglas County Corrections to teach ABE programs to people who are incarcerated.
Enrollment is open for spring sessions of Learning for ALL classes. Register for the spring session of free classes here. Classes are both in-person and online. Registration will remain open until Monday, January 16th.
If you’d like to volunteer with Learning for ALL, fill out an application. Call the organization at (402) 502-0698 with any questions.