The Hispanic Outreach Project (HOP) is a service-learning collaboration  at Berea College which brings together the Department of Foreign Languages and the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) to address the needs of the Hispanic community in Madison County.  As more and more Spanish-speakers have moved into the area, schools, agencies, and a range of public institutions have found themselves challenged to meet the needs of this new constituency.  Frequently their needs have not been met properly because there is no one who can speak Spanish.

Recognizing this reality and wishing to provide some assistance, the Department of Foreign Languages and CELTS came together to create HOP. With the goal of building bridges between the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities, HOP provides service-learning and volunteer opportunities for Berea College students to work with Hispanics through tutoring, ESL, translation services, and other one-time volunteer opportunities. Students involved in this program have an intermediate to advanced level of Spanish language proficiency, and therefore are able to serve as intermediaries between Spanish-speakers and those who do not speak Spanish in the schools and agencies. Among the community groups with which HOP has partnered are Shannon Johnson Elementary School, the Boys and Girls Club of Madison County, Mujeres Unidas (which is part of the Migrant Outreach Program at Foothills Community Action Partnership), various churches that offer ESL classes, Project Read, and individual members of the local Hispanic community to whom we have offered ESL classes.

During the academic year, HOP offers the following programs and services:

• English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring with children
• Adult ESL classes
• Translating of forms/documents
• Translations for Berea College Service-Learning Projects
• Interpreting

For more information, contact the HOP Student Coordinator Arlett Franco at , or contact  Fred de Rosset or Ashley Cochrane