ESL and Beyond

Program Overview

Centro Hispano de Frederick (Centro Hispano) focuses on serving immigrant youth and families who feel isolated, and need support in accessing available resources and skills needed in the job market. Last year, Centro Hispano made over 14,000 connections with clients last year both at our center and in the community, through our free educational programs and services.

One of the most useful things Centro Hispano can provide to immigrant families is job skills and access to the job market. Our program, ESL and Beyond, focuses on a series of educational opportunities that provide skills that contribute to employability, English language, financial literacy, computer literacy, and a pathway to work legally. This is accomplished through ESL classes, financial and computer literacy classes, and citizenship classes. These classes, as well as job fairs and connecting eligible workers to employers are the most tangible ways we can create pathways to employment.

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

Karin arrived to the United States with a Humanitarian Visa from Colombia. She found Centro Hispano de Frederick online and immediately enrolled in ESL classes. She attended two different classes and received other support services from Centro Hispano including resume preparation, job interviewing skills, and other workforce services. She has returned to the center and taught a Spanish class. "The team at Centro Hispano has been amazing and helped with many different things. It all started with me attending an English class," she shared.

Grace arrived from Nicaragua in 2024. She is currently attending ESL classes and the Entre Mujeres (Among Women) Support Group at Centro Hispano. Her children have also attended the Exito STEAM Wellness Program that Centro Hispano offers at five local elementary schools. Grace shared that, "Centro Hispano has been a blessing to me and my family. From the free English classes, to the Exito Program for my children, to the workforce services, this has made a huge difference in our lives and well-being. I also volunteer at the center and help with food distribution."