New York has long served as a refuge for immigrants seeking safety. However, the surge of new immigrants, parolees, and asylum seekers over the past year has put a strain on available immigration legal services. As of January 2024, over half of all individuals in New York's immigration courts lack representation. Most new arrivals cannot afford legal counsel or fall prey to phony legal service providers. Many don't know their legal rights. Often, many with valid legal cases to push back on deportation end up in immigration detention or deported.
To address this challenge, law school immigration clinics and nonprofit legal service providers, already overextended, are expanding their services to offer aid but cannot meet the demand. At Riverside, we are partnering with our volunteers and field partners with legal expertise to provide our community one-on-one referrals and legal clinics. As we have often done, we are adapting to creatively meet the emerging needs of our participants. Ultimately, New York needs a comprehensive, long-term legal services infrastructure bolstered by social workers. Last year, the New York Legislature allocated $63 million for immigration legal services. However, more funds are needed to maintain a robust legal support system.
We encourage our community to support The Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families. This broad coalition of elected officials, advocacy organizations, and impacted families is proposing a $150 million investment to ensure that New York State expands critical immigration legal representation services. The coalition is also advocating for the passage of the Access to Representation Act (S9999A/A170A) - a bill that guarantees access to lawyers for immigrants at risk of deportation in New York. You can take action here.
Exciting Changes at Riverside!
Last month we shared some exciting news - Riverside has rebranded! For those who missed the announcement, the new name represents our efforts over the last few years to expand our services and become an immigrant integration center. This shift allows us to offer a broader set of programs that more strategically and comprehensively address the resettlement needs of new immigrants and refugees in New York City.
While English language attainment remains central to our services, we now also provide workforce development, digital literacy skills, expanded social service supports, and community and civic engagement.
Our vision is to ensure all immigrants, regardless of their origins or circumstance, have access to the tools and opportunities necessary for economic mobility, social inclusion, and civic and community engagement. We look forward to your continued partnership as we enter into this new stage in our development.
Executive Director, Berta Colón highlighted by Columbia's Community Service Program
We are so proud to have Riverside's Executive Director, Berta Colón, highlighted as one of the exceptional women leading organizations that are supported by Columbia University's Columbia Community Service. Read the full article here.
What’s your inspiration for serving in your current role?
"My parents. Like many children of parents who did not speak English when they came to the U.S., I often served as their translator and witnessed firsthand how they were treated with disrespect and disdain simply because they did not know the language. My parents did not have the benefit of an organization like Riverside. They pieced together bits of English and worked in factories under terrible conditions to build a new life in New York City. They had hopes and dreams that slowly disappeared with time. Riverside provides immigrants and refugees with the programs, training, and access to services they need to stay focused and accomplish their personal and professional goals."
Workforce Development
Riverside Language Program's Workforce Development Program provides participants with the essential tools for success in the competitive job market of New York City. These small, focused classes help participants hone their interview skills, craft American-style resumes (CVs), and learn the art of effective networking.
Here are some key updates:
Over 60 students have participated
With just 10 concentrated hours of training, more than a third of participating students have landed jobs
Another 30% have been placed in sector-specific training programs
Success Stories:
A former nurse from El Salvador secured a job as a nurse assistant making $500 a week.
A Ukrainian student who wanted to switch careers and become a baker, landed a job as a production baker at Russ & Daughters.
A Brazilian student who was formerly a special education teacher was hired as a Home Health Aide.
A Russian Level 2 student landed a job as a dental assistant.
We're also excited to announce the upcoming launch of a dedicated Riverside alumni group on LinkedIn, fostering a vibrant community where past and present students can connect, share insights, and support one another's professional journeys throughout the city. At Riverside, we're not just teaching language; we're empowering futures.
Graduation Highlights!
Our latest Instagram reel captures the impact of our graduation ceremonies, showcasing the immense significance these moments hold for our community of participants. Beyond teaching English, our mission is to cultivate a tight-knit community that fosters connections among people from diverse backgrounds while nurturing unshakeable confidence in each participant. Check out the video now and get inspired!
Lessons Learned in Seneca Village
Instructor Kate Gill loves sharing the history of Seneca Village with her students each cycle. A bit from Kate: "Do you know about the village reduced to rubble to make way for Central Park? Some students have been to the park, and for others, it was their first time to Central Park-- but for all, the story of Seneca Village was new-- and at the same time the story of getting pushed out-- not unfamiliar.
For many, the story of the Government coming in and saying "You need to move" lines up with their experience. The thriving diverse village with the largest number of middle-class African American homeowners in NYC who welcomed Irish and German immigrant homes owners; the only truly integrated community in NYC where people lived, intermarried, had children, baptized & educated their children in churches and school-- that village was all destroyed to make way for Central Park."
5th Annual International Food Festival
Oh, what a night! Our 5th annual International Food Festival was a resounding success, as it celebrated the diverse talents of our current Riverside participants who delighted our taste buds with an array of international cuisines. Beyond the gastronomic delights, our audience was moved by the inspiring stories shared by past students, showcasing the tools Riverside can provide immigrants, asylums, and refugees in NYC as they find success in America. We are profoundly grateful to our dedicated community whose support has been key to keeping Riverside running. It's your commitment that has allowed us to see a 60% increase in ticket sales to our Food Festival compared to last year – a testament to your unwavering belief in our mission. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
20 Years of Jennafer!
After 20 years, our extraordinary TESOL instructor, Jennafer D'Alvia, has embarked on an exciting new teaching adventure. Jennafer has been the guiding light in our participants' language-learning journey, igniting passion and transforming lives.
Her unwavering dedication will leave an indelible mark on our staff, current participants, and past students. Jennafer's commitment to the positive environment she has cultivated here will be sorely missed. Jennafer, as you embark on this new chapter, we wholeheartedly wish you the very best of luck. May this next journey bring you endless opportunities to inspire, teach, and uplift. Thank you, Jennafer, for being an exceptional educator.
Changing Demographics: Riverside Welcomes A Growing Community of West African Participants
The demographics of Riverside's participants continue to change, paralleling world trends. While a significant number of applicants continue to be Russian and Ukrainian, we also saw a sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers from West African countries, specifically the Republic of Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. These three countries have been experiencing violent armed conflict, human rights violations, and displacement.
Despite the crisis in these countries, no mass call for Temporary Protective Status has been issued. These asylum seekers face significant challenges. They lack work authorizations, have unstable housing, and have no guarantee of securing permanent status in the United States. And yet, their tenacity and hard work is undeniable. Riverside is committed to supporting all immigrants and ensuring that anyone fleeing war and humanitarian crises is supported and provided with basic necessities and opportunities to build a new life.
Riverside in Forbes
Forbes Magazine recently published two Riverside articles emphasizing the importance of hiring immigrants in New York City and across the United States. The articles, written by Riverside's Executive Director Berta Colón for Forbes EQ Program, focus on the need for culturally sensitive hiring managers and encourage employers to look beyond resumes that may not fully reflect an applicant's abilities. Another key takeaway is the importance of fostering a workplace environment that genuinely supports immigrants.
Read her Forbes article to discover the transformative potential of embracing immigrants, asylees, and refugees in the workplace. You can read more here about how Riverside prepares participants for interviews, the workplace, and beyond. We are thrilled to report that over 114,000 people have viewed these articles, bringing awareness of Riverside students' capabilities to an audience of hiring managers, HR representatives, and C-Suite executives nationwide.
NYC's New Immigrants and the Right to Shelter
In the last year, over 140,000 immigrants, asylees, and refugees have arrived in New York City. Their need for social services and support has been significant, as many have come fleeing war and persecution.
New York City has long been a beacon for new immigrants, but unfortunately, as the impact of the recent waves has become more visible and inconvenient, the welcoming sentiment has dissipated. The administration and even some long-time community supporters have moved away from broadly welcoming new immigrants.
It is important to acknowledge that the surge in new immigrants has put a significant strain on the City and its resources. Even before the first waves arrived, city agencies and non-profits struggled to meet service demand. However, punitive short-term solutions that put new immigrants in harm's way are not the solution. We encourage our community to continue supporting front-line organizations delivering critical services to new arrivals and to advocate for better policies and increased investments. At the federal level, it means reaching out to our state senators so that more federal funds are provided to the City to help offset the costs of increased services. At the City level, urging the administration to move away from dangerous policies and work with business and non-profit leaders to coordinate and strategize on long-term, viable solutions.
Chipping away at safeguards such as the right to shelter, which offers anyone the right to shelter and food, will only lead to thousands of vulnerable people being forced to live on the streets. Evicting families after a 60-day stay in a shelter will only ensure that children, who often rely on school meals and the protective space of a classroom, will be shuffled from school to school, go hungry, miss critical learning time, and be exposed to potentially dangerous congregate settings.
Riverside Language Program continues its unwavering commitment to supporting newly arrived immigrants and will continue to work with field allies, city agencies, and advocates to provide as many safeguards as possible and advocate for policies that uphold our City's constitutional commitment to support those in need.
Supporting the Refugee Community
Our hearts are with the more than four million Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their country - Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Sadly, they are now part of the 82.4 million people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order.* This is the highest number on record to date.
They include:
Over 6 million Syrians - the world’s largest population of refugees
5.9 million refugees from Venezuela
2.6 million refugees from Afghanistan
2.3 million refugees from South Sudan
1.1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
Riverside has spent the last forty years welcoming refugees and asylum seekers from around the world. They come to us with a multitude of identities and beliefs. Sometimes in direct opposition to one another. What they find at Riverside is a space that facilitates communication, fosters mutual respect, and builds community across differences.
In this moment of escalating political strife, persecution, and displacement, we urge our community to do everything in their power to ensure that all refugees and asylum seekers are supported and treated with dignity and equality.
*UNHCR Statistic - As of 2020
Driver’s Education Pilot Program
A few months ago, Mamadou Jalloh, a Riverside student in Level 2, told his teacher, Doris Athineos, that he was nervous about passing his driver’s road test, despite enrolling in a driving school. In her four years as a teacher at Riverside, Doris noticed that while many students are already experienced, licensed drivers back in their home countries, passing the road test has been a persistent challenge for students, largely due to the lack of attention given to ESL students in driving schools: “Some agents speak quickly and not always clearly. Some of the instructions and commands are unique to driving and difficult for new English speakers to understand.”
Doris learned that while NYC has one of the nation's lowest road test pass rates, there are no programs in New York dedicated to helping immigrants overcome the language hurdles and pass the road test. She decided to develop a curriculum to help students understand conversational driving expressions and address the learning gap ESL students experience in driving schools. During the Cycle 4 class, 9 out of Doris’ 18 students stated that they would be very interested in participating in the program.
“We are not teaching students how to drive but teaching them the language they will need to be successful and confident for their road test.”
The curriculum was developed from student input on confounding colloquial phrases. In a test run of the program, Doris helped Jalloh after school to identify expressions that confused him. Certain terms were foreign to Jalloh and other Riverside students, including “traffic jam,” “hazard lights,” “DUI,” and commands such as “Pull over,” “Pop the trunk,” and “Buckle up.”
For many immigrants in New York, passing the road test and obtaining a driver’s license can increase their income immediately and make a significant difference in their day-to-day lives. According to a 2018 study from the New School, 90 percent of NYC’s app-based drivers are immigrants. Many Riverside students are delivery workers and aspire to become rideshare drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft, which can double and even triple their income. Failing to pass the road test can result in a delay of several months to retake the test and also requires paying additional fees.
The pilot program is especially important in light of the passage of the Green Light Bill in 2019 by the New York State Legislature. The law permits all New Yorkers the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. The law also compels DMVs throughout the state to offer the written driver’s test in more than 30 languages. However, applicants with limited English proficiency are still required to perform the road test in English.
A few weeks ago, Jalloh arrived to class with a big smile on his face and a driver’s license in hand. Riverside hopes to expand the pilot into a five-week evening program with the goal of a 100 percent passage rate of participating students.
Berta Colón, Executive Director of Riverside, shared her enthusiasm for the program: “The Driver’s Education Program serves as one more critical resource available to our students and demonstrates how Riverside continues to adapt to best serve the needs of our community.”
Riverside Board Member Suzanne Carothers Steps Down
It is a bittersweet moment for all of us at Riverside as we announce that our Board Member, Suzanne Carothers, Ph.D., stepped down at the start of the year. Dr. Carothers has served on the Riverside Board of Directors since 2014 and has dedicated her life to youth education and adult literacy. She spent the past four decades as a teacher and a leader in education. Dr. Carothers retired from her full-time position as a Professor of Early Childhood Education at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in the Department of Teaching and Learning and served as Director of the Undergraduate Childhood/Childhood Special Education Program and Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Formerly, Dr. Carothers served as the Adult Literacy Program Director in the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York during the Ed Koch administration, where she coordinated the New York City Adult Literacy Initiative. At the time, the initiative was central to the movement to improve adult reading, writing, and English speaking skills. Much of Riverside’s work in adult education is largely owed to Dr. Carothers’ pioneering vision to ensure all New Yorkers are equipped with the necessary reading, writing, and communication skills to get a job or continue their education.
“Suzanne is a fierce champion of our mission and will be deeply missed. Personally, she has been and will continue to be an important source of support and friendship. On behalf of the entire Riverside community, I thank her for her wise leadership and dedication to our organization,” Berta Colón, Executive Director.
Standing With Our Ukrainian Students
The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performing Prayers for Ukraine at Saturday Night Live on February 26, 2022.
In February 2022, two of our students, Iryna and Oksana, sang in the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York during Saturday Night Live’s Cold Open. It was amazing to see Riverside students leading and inspiring millions during such a tumultuous moment in history.
We applaud the decision to allow 100,000 Ukrainians to seek refuge in the United States and we welcome them with open arms. At Riverside, we seek to be a home for the displaced and we look forward to helping Ukrainian refugees adjust to life in the U.S. through free English classes and wrap-around case management and counseling. Through shared kindness and humanity, we can all play a role in affecting peace and progress. If you are interested in assisting our students through this difficult time, please reach out to us at info@riversidelanguage.org.
Workforce Development and Job Readiness Initiative
Haideh, a recent Riverside graduate who got a job as a Youth Program Coordinator at Women for Afghan Women, spoke highly of the workforce development program.
One of Riverside’s key priorities is helping students develop job readiness skills that will prepare them to enter the workforce. We spoke with Nursen Turan, who taught Level 5 students the past three class cycles, about the ways in which she incorporates workforce development training into her classes.
“Students are really hungry for job readiness training. The job search is an especially anxiety-inducing process for our students, who need to learn how to give good answers on top of speaking English well.”
To address this need, Nursen puts an emphasis on making job readiness lessons uplifting and engaging for students. As a daily warm-up, students brainstormed answers to different interview questions. Another lesson that received positive feedback from students was an overview of hard skills and soft skills and how to market oneself throughout the application process.
Nursen recognizes the impact of cultural differences, particularly in the resume writing workshop: “The rules of resume writing are not necessarily the same. I focused a lot on cultural differences, which I experienced when I entered the workforce as an immigrant.”
A few do’s and don’ts include not putting a picture on resume and knowing that no one is supposed to inquire about their religious and ethnic background or family history. Nur teaches her classes about the emphasis on American optimism in the interview process and the need to be dynamic and upbeat. The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with a large consensus of students stating that the lessons helped build their confidence in tackling the interview process.
Nursen is extremely excited about the future of the workforce development program. In May, Nursen and Elizabeth Sprenger, now teaching Level 5, will be presenting on how to embed career readiness into language lessons at the ABE ESOL Conference, an adult education conference in NYC. Expanding Workforce Development services is a key component of Riverside’s plans for the future. Program enhancements will include professional networking events to connect students with similar professional backgrounds, hosting career panels with Riverside alumni speakers, and building digital literacy lessons on an array of necessary hard skills including Google Suite and LinkedIn.
“True to the Riverside mission, our career development program demonstrates that immigration integration rarely stops at language learning. Our goal is to provide participants with all of the key supports they need to reach their employment goals,” Berta Colón, Executive Director.
COABE Google Career Certificate Program Scholarships
Congratulations to recent Riverside graduates Amadou, Hanane, Rosa, and Carolina for winning COABE scholarships to attend the online Google Career Certificate program. Building on their English-language learning at Riverside, they answered essay questions to land the scholarships. Students can choose from a handful of tech courses, including IT support, data analytics, and UX design. After students complete their certificates, Google connects them to potential employers. We are thrilled to help prepare Riversiders to thrive in a digital world.
Riverside Students Take a Trip to the Met!
A big shout out to our Cycle 3 and Cycle 4 students, who seamlessly navigated the temporary return to online learning due to Omicron. The students still made the best of it and engaged in wonderful class discussions and activities, such as Kate Gill’s Level 3 class trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kate shared the photo as an uplifting moment of community building: “Here we are, leaning into a bright future together!”
Riverside's First Film Fest!
Join us for the Riverside Language Program's first Film Fest on Monday, November 22nd, at 6 pm. This event is virtual.
The event will feature a screening of Soy Andina (65 min, Peru/USA)
Soy Andina is the true story of two New York women, Nelida and Cynthia, raised in different worlds — an immigrant folk dancer from the Andes and a modern dancer from Queens, NY — who journey to Peru to reconnect with roots and dance. More about the film at www.soyandina.com
After the film, we will host a Q&A session with director Mitch Teplitsky, film subject Nelida Silva, and associate producer (and Riverside student!) Doris Loayza.
Mitch Teplitsky is a documentary filmmaker from New York City who met Nelida nearly 30 years ago at The International Center, a language and resource center for new immigrants in NY.
Nelida Silva is the "Andina" of Soy Andina, a folk dancer from Peru who lived in New York City for two decades before returning to Peru. Today, she coaches rural women to start small businesses.
Doris Loayza is a Peruvian immigrant who moved to NYC in 2008 and is a former student of the Riverside Language Program! Doris went on to earn a Master's in Latin American Studies at NYU. Today she teaches high school Spanish and Quechua (indigenous language of the Andes) for Colorado University at Boulder.
This film screening is sponsored by:
Riverside Returns to In-Person Learning
After a year and a half of Zoom classes, Riverside students and teachers were thrilled to return to the classrooms at West 89th Street for the 2021–22 school year. To reduce the risk of virus transmittance, Riverside is requiring that all students, faculty and staff be vaccinated, adhere to social distancing in the classroom, and wear a mask when inside in the building.
Jennafer D’Alvia, Level 4 teacher, said, “It’s so great to be back in person. It creates a sense of community.” Teachers are again able to capitalize on all that New York City has to offer, taking class trips to the park or to museums. Graduation for Cycle 1 students took place in our namesake Riverside Park, and members of the volunteer community celebrated with the graduates and enjoyed outdoor games.