¡Aprendalo!

In a world-wide pandemic-year that has become more of a generational watershed, one can count on political disagreement on all levels of governance – national, local, and even that of the self. Across media outlets, people are quickly relegated to chyron figures and one-hour talking points. On the ground, however, grassroots nonprofits continue their push for a more equitable and fulfilled global sphere even if that work must go on in quiet, humble corners and address seemingly mundane tasks.

¡Aprendalo!, affectionately translated to “Learn it!”, is an ESL volunteer organization created by high-schoolers Ronak Shetty and Rhys Williams dedicated to the teaching of English to those who strive to grasp its contours. Offered virtually and at no cost, Aprendalo operates with a base of over seventy high-school and college student volunteers who meet for an hour every week to deliver an English language lesson to a pupil with little-to-no-experience in the tongue.

Created for Spanish and Portuguese speakers unable to afford conventional programs with strict learning schedules, the program has grown off an independent curriculum utilized by tutors (high-schoolers and college students) from multiple states, including New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas. ESL students, who make initial contact with their tutor via the messaging platform Whatsapp, hail from across the world, with representation focused in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil.

From simple grammar to practical vocabulary, Aprendalo’s foundational bracing in English is designed to give clients a ‘head-start’ in an age where better communication is the nexus between one opportunity and the next. Since the organization’s inception, the international nature of the endeavor has also been committed to the diversity of its internal team, striving to offer servicework to high-schoolers and college students of all backgrounds. As Aprendalo powers toward a network of one-hundred ESL enrollees and thousands of lessons taught, we affirm that no community is too distant to develop an interpersonal connection that will endure.  

All high-schoolers and college students looking for service hours that are fluent in Spanish/Portuguese are encouraged to apply here!