On Thursday, the Bakersfield College (BC) Arvin Educational Center announced a significant initiative to support farm-working families in Arvin and Lamont: free English classes will be offered every Monday and Wednesday from August 26 to December 11 at the Caliente Creek Community Center, thanks to a partnership with SelfHelp Enterprise.
“Bakersfield College has established a strong partnership with SelfHelp Enterprise, an organization dedicated to providing high-quality services to its housing residents,” said Isabel Castaneda, a program manager for BC Arvin. “Together, we are working to increase college access by raising awareness, fostering an understanding of college culture, and enhancing English skills.”
The course that will be offered in the Fall semester is Introductory Integrated English Skills (EMLS B90NC) and will be available at no cost as the first part of a four-course series. Upon completion, students who complete all courses will receive an English for Multilingual Students Basic Certificate of Competency.
“Furthermore, the Bakersfield College Arvin Educational Center (AEC) is set to open in the Spring of 2025, where continuation courses will be offered for students to earn the certificate. After completing the courses, students can engage in conversations and written exchanges on various topics and texts, summarize a text, and deliver oral presentations using graphics or multimedia as needed,” shared Castaneda.
The Caliente Creek Community Center is located at the Caliente Creek Apartments in Arvin; this location was chosen for its accessibility to all interested individuals. BC Arvin is also attempting to make enrollment more convenient by setting up Rural Express Enrollments on the following dates:
Monday, August 5th, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Caliente Creek Community Center,
909 Meyer Street; Arvin, CA. 93203
Thursday, August 8th, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Arvin Family Resource Center,
909 Meyer Street; Arvin, CA. 93203
Thursday, August 22nd, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Lamont Family Resource Center,
7915 Burgundy Ave; Lamont, CA 93241.