Tales, Traditions, and Toast sums up English Learning Center event on World Refugee Day where highlights of the evening were tales told, traditions honored and the toast of fresh wood-fired oven baked bread and other good food was shared.
BY KATHLEEN ROCHE
June 18th, in commemoration of World Refugee Day, the English Learning Center hosted a community event: Tales, Traditions and Toast. Community members, volunteer teachers and students, family members and friends came together to build relationships and share with one another. The event began with outdoor games, interactive activities to learn about refugees, and opportunities to visually share attendees”' own immigrant journeys.
The highlight of the evening was storytelling: students shared recently published stories about best friends, first winter experiences in Minnesota, the tragedy of war, and first flights to the United States. These stories were touching and educational, and they humanized the experience of coming to this country as a refugee. The event ended with attendees sharing freshly-baked bread, made in an outdoor wood-fired oven. The English Learning Center aims to not only offer English, math, computer and citizenship classes, but also seeks to provide a welcoming community space for people new to this country.
Kathleen Roche is the PM Volunteer Coordinator at The English Learning Center — a program of Our Saviour”'s Community Services. 2315 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404
