Education and Community Resources Center

Empowering Refugees, IDPs, and low-income families

Project Information

Project Status: Active
Start Date: 2001
End Date: Ongoing
Countries: Azerbaijan

 Quality Education Decent Work & Economic Growth Reduced Inequalities

Resources
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Projects
  4. /
  5. Education and Community Resources...

The English Center

The World Hope International Azerbaijan English Center provides a place for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDP), and low-income families to receive affordable, quality English classes in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Learning English well can make a big difference in an economy that suffers from high unemployment. Many families have one person working long hours to try and support all the family and relatives at home. There are many IDPs who struggle to find work and living in temporary housing. The Center also serves refugees from surrounding countries who are trying to start a new life by moving on to better opportunities in the West.

Project Goal

1. To provide opportunities for students to improve their skills to help find employment.

2. To support community development initiatives

Outcomes
  1. Students make progress in their language skills
  2. Students use their language skills to find better jobs
  3. Community-centered programs are implemented to empower the people

lives impacted by the Community Development Department since its start in 1998

people impacted with computer and English classes since 2001

How It Works

English and Computer Literacy

English courses during the school year are offered for students aged 15 and up, with three semesters per year. Courses are available to everyone, but the program seeks to benefit IDPs, refugees and low-income families. The English curriculum is designed to teach students conversational English along with the necessary amount of grammar and writing to open up future opportunities. The Center offers eight levels of English courses, taught in 10-week semesters, ranging from beginner to advanced levels.  Computer literacy classes have occassionally been offered as well benefitting many community members over the years.

Conversation Clubs

In addition to English courses, the Education & Community Resources Center offers Conversation Clubs for those who want to keep working on their language skills in the summer. These clubs attract a high attendance with the hands-on approach to learning the language and tend to have higher attendance than the English courses durinig the school year. By using their English in conversations, students can hone their skills and become more confident in their abilities.

Community Outreach and Development

Community development initiatives over the years have resulted in 24 school projects, including renovations and school building construction. In addition to school projects we have supported the community with resources for orphanages and by providing anti-human trafficking seminars and teacher trainings and more.

One such current initiative is the construction of a kindergarten that will accomodate the growing population of a remote community. This includes the building itself as well as a playground, a wall with a gate around the kindergarten, and a surrounding sidewalk.

Empowering Youth on OSAEC Awareness

WHI believes that young leaders in the community can help minimize the prevalence of OSEC. Read about the OSAEC Awareness youth training we held last month.

Transforming Access to Education

Join us in celebrating the completion of a major project this year! Read on to see the transformation that took place in Liberia.

Biking Over Barriers

Partnerships are key to promoting opportunity, dignity, and hope in the world. Continue reading to find out how they are making a difference in Sierra Leone!

From Student to Educator: A Child Sponsorship Alumna Shares Her Story

Today a teacher in the Philippines, Kate is an alumna of World Hope International’s Child Sponsorship program. Here’s a snippet of her story, in her own words…

Celebrating Families & Bright Futures

“I have not been able to study at night because I do not have a light. I feel happy because I now have a light to study.”

Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day with ETC

On April 2nd the world celebrates the 14th annual World Autism Day. Learn how the Enable the Children program helps support children with Autism and their families in Sierra Leone.

Equipped for Entrepreneurship

45 adolescent girls in Sierra Leone seized an opportunity to participate in a soap making and selling training program. What happened next?