Migrant/ESL Summer School Success
Friday July 16th was the last day of the season for the Bayfront Migrant/ESL Summer School Program. This was the eleventh year the program was hosted at the Bayfront Maritime Center. The program is a collaborative partnership with the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit, The School District of the City of Erie, and the Bayfront Maritime Center. This year the migrant children were joined by English Language Learner (ELL) students. These are students who have recently come to the United States and are enrolled in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. The students were in first through eighth grade. They were a very diverse group, hailing from Sudan, Somalia, Russia, Yemen, Iraq, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nepal, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. The summer school program focuses on reading, language skills, and math, helping to prepare students for success in their academic studies. Students also learned water safety while sailing, rowing, or paddling every day.
Students on the bow of the racing catamaran Taco the Town watch as the Friendship sloop Momentum crosses their bow.