There are 57 students in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program of Plant High School, and we expect many more to come. These students are isolated by cultural and language barriers which cause them to score below proficient on English assessments and and to struggle in social situations. Many teachers and students have shown their interest in the inception of this program, seeing these students’ willingness but inability to understand and contribute.

Our primary concern is that these students are unaware of the opportunities being offered to them, developing their high school resumes (obtaining service hours, getting involved with clubs and sports, etc.) and preparing for beyond Plant. We’ve already gauged a considerable amount of interest from possible tutors who all seem excited and eager for the program’s foundation.

Our intention is to gather bilingual students and pair them with an ESOL student with the same base language who is struggling in English. These pairs would be available for all students in all grade levels. These one-on-one connections’ purpose would be to create a symbiotic relationship, providing tutoring, counseling, and guidance in return for service hours. Monthly meetings (or more frequent meetings if necessary, determined on an individual basis) would be held with officers to assure sufficient progress and direction. We ask you to sign this petition so that the importance of the production of this program can be recognized and addressed.