You are cordially invited to join us on December 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Saxe Room of the Worcester Public Library to hear Immigrant and Refugee Stories of Worcester Women, this year’s annual event of the Worcester Women’s Oral History (WWOHP). While WWOHP has collected, preserved, and shared the stories of several immigrants who have lived in Worcester for many years, this program will focus on women who have recently emigrated from a variety of countries, including Colombia, Algeria, Ghana, Brazil, China, and Burma. This event is the culmination of a year-long collaboration with The Clemente Course of Worcester, Notre Dame du Lac, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester, and Refugee Artisans of Worcester.
The Clemente Course provides opportunities for adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn about literature, art, history, moral philosophy, American history, and writing. Clemente participants earn college credit through tuition-free, college level instruction. Notre Dame du Lac embraces the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to educate for life. Their goal is to foster a culture of learning and growth where all individuals are engaged and are provided opportunity, guidance, and support for their personal, academic, and professional goals. The mission of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester is to provide adults with the English language skills they need to thrive in our community. Established in 1973 as a one-to-one tutoring program, LVGW today has over 150 volunteers and eight specialized ESL teachers who give of their time to help immigrants, refugees, and adult basic literacy students read, write, and speak the English language. Refugee Artisans of Worcester is dedicated to identifying refugee artisans and assisting them to self-sufficiency through the sale of their artwork, while archiving their indigenous cultural crafts. RAW was created to embrace the culture and skill sets of refugees while working to financially support these new Americans.
WWOHP is honored to partner with these groups. We hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a fascinating evening. This presentation is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Maureen Ryan Doyle, Mryandoyle@aol.com or 508-829-6968.
