In order to make sure that our students are receiving reliable, up-to-date information about the COVID vaccine, we’re invited the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct a workshop on COVID-19 Vaccination in Cantonese for our Cantonese-speaking students. Here are the resources they shared with us. Future workshops will also be in Mandarin and Spanish!Â
Just sharing a class photo with you of our Advanced Writing Class which is taught on Fridays by NYU Gallatin Professor June Foley. In this class, students read, share, and discuss their writing. NYU Gallatin publishes a yearly Literacy Review of writing from adult education students around New York City. Literacy Review Number 19 will be available later this spring, and several University Settlement Adult Literacy Program students will have their writing published in it. It will be available in print on a limited basis and also online – so in the meantime check out Literacy Review Number 18 by clicking here or on the image below. There’s audio too!
In New York City, the ultimate city of immigrants, we have always known that immigrants are essential: immigrants make up half our cityâs workforce and during COVID-19 they came to represent a disproportionate share of the essential workforce in the city. Our city came to rely and continues to rely on immigrants, who also bore the brunt of the fallout of COVID-19. And while immigrants have continued supporting the city as essential workers, they also are stepping up to fill needs in our communities. From food distribution volunteers to those making sure their communities have the latest information and resources, and others who have helped advocate for New Yorkers in the health system, immigrant New Yorkers deserve our thanks and recognition for their invaluable contributions.
All New Yorkers 16 years of age and older are now eligible to be vaccinated! People who work or study in New York are also eligible. (Note, people who are 16 or 17 years old can only receive the Pfizer vaccine.)
Three COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer), Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). These vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective in protecting people from severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death. As of March 1, tens of millions of doses of vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
These vaccines are the best protection we have against COVID-19. No matter how old you are, COVID-19 can lead to complications and death. Even if you had COVID-19, it is important to get vaccinated because it lowers your risk of getting COVID-19 again and may prevent you from passing it on to others.
Also, getting vaccinated may protect those around you, particularly people who cannot get the vaccine, such as children. Vaccination, along with other prevention measures, can help us end the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Here are some ways to find a vaccination appointment:
Congratulations to two of our students, Gabriela Robles (Class CCR-A) and Ana Condo (Class 3P, pictured above), who graduated from the hospitality training offered by ROC-NY (Restaurant Opportunity Center – New York)! This was an intensive two-week service industry training completely in English.
This is Anaâs testimony after completing the training: âThis training was intense with a lot homework, and it took so much effort. So many times I was considering quitting this training but my teachers never left me and raised me again and again. Now I appreciate it so much. And without a doubt the message of my kids confirms the pride and love they feel for me and that fills me with energy to move forward and feel proud of being a student of University Settlement Society of New York. Thank you so much.â
And this is Gabrielaâs testimony: âThis training gave me the opportunity to learn hospitality, organization and leadership skills that I will carry with me and I will use them in any professional setting.Seeing my certificate makes me realize my potential. I feel motivated.â
This is a short film exploring the identities and stories of University Settlement community members studying English as a second language in the Adult Literacy Program accompanied by music and dance. The film is a culmination of a month-long teaching artist residency with four different Adult Literacy classes. âWhat Matters to Usâ is a virtual reimagination and application of Creative Traffic Flowâs project, Duets of Difference. In this time of heightened xenophobia and political intolerance, The Duets of Difference project explores how people from different communities with different life experiences can connect in their differences. Students in the Adult Literacy program represent many different ages, ethnicities, and experiences. There were at least 11 different languages spoken amongst the class. âWhat Matters to Usâ explores differences in family, relationships, and how to communicate as an English Language Learner.
