Councilmember Brewer questions adult literacy and English language learning programs

But the adult literacy, can you bring us up to date on cuts, where you're looking?

Obviously, the feds have been very unfortunately cutting, and I think this is as important as all the other topics that we've been talking about today.

Yeah, I can start.

I don't have, in regards to just overall cuts, we don't have that, but we are happy to say that via the Moya English Language and Learning Support Centers, we have added

and have extended in baseline funding for our English language support centers at 500K per library system.

We do have what we call We Speak, which is a way for folks who might not be ready to join an adult literacy class, might be a bit too shy to speak out or speak openly and learn to try to learn the language.

and encourages people to communicate amongst each other, but also learn about New York City civic engagement life and what other offices and agencies are doing around the city.

So it's a bit of a multi-fold way of integrating new New Yorkers into our city.

Okay.

The reason I ask is it would be helpful because I know you bring information and agencies together to have a sense of where we are with, in general, the English ELLs because

it seems to me that if there are huge waiting lists, which there always have been, then that would be something that the council and the mayor should be looking at.

It is the one way that everybody can get jobs.

So I'd love to know, again, it exists in different agencies, libraries, DOE, U, et cetera.

So is that something that you can work on?

Yeah.

I mean, we know, and you kind of hit it on the nail with both of your questions, that English learning is the pathway for civic participation, as Loretta mentioned, but economic mobility and just long-term stability for immigrant communities

in our city.

Through our English language, English learning and support centers.

We know they're designed in a way to strengthen language skills, but really connect them, immigrant New Yorkers, to larger services.

You know, we see this as an important, it's a value, it's an important program that we administer at MOYA, and we would love to continue those conversations with the council.

on how to provide additional support for adult literacy.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Councilmember Aviles?