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The University of Dayton (UD) has a long history of supporting learners in exploring and expanding their dreams. This summer, the University continued that tradition by providing an opportunity for people affected by changing U.S. immigration laws through the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate; a hybrid program of online and in-person instruction.  Designed to develop both the participants’ teaching skills, as well as their knowledge of the theoretical foundations to teaching English, the certificate is taught through 5 modules, entailing 160 hours of instruction conducted over a 6 month period.

With a rise in demand for English teachers in Mexico, and changes in 2017 that ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), there was a natural connection to explore the opportunity. Fundación SM, a Marianist nonprofit based in Mexico City, approached the University to sponsor a TEFL Certificate cohort, specifically for deportees, migrants, or returnees as a way to address the growing numbers of migrants back in Mexico.. UD has worked with SM, a Marianist publishing company, since 2006, resulting in the creation of the University of Dayton Publishing (UDP) line of texts for English language learners. Fifteen participants enrolled in the inaugural Dreamers Program, and kicked off their experience in January of this year.

Brenna Seifried, Program Coordinator for the University of Dayton English Language Institute, noted that this program is a great example of the University working towards our commitment to community and education, and our commitment to the common good. “Given our partnership with SM over the years, it was a natural step to take in helping to address the current immigration crisis. There is a real strength in these students’ binational, bicultural experience, and we know it will be highly valuable to the young people who study under them,” she said.

A significant element of the Dreamers Program cohort is the mutual impact it provides for the faculty facilitator and the participants. Sky Lantz- Wagner, Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor, had the opportunity to teach the fifth and final module of the certificate program for the group. The module, like the program, is designed as a hybrid experience, with the first 5 weeks as online instruction, and the final week as an in-person immersion.

This summer, Sky traveled to Mexico City, where he facilitated the final week with the group at SM headquarters, where a special University of Dayton space has been created. Sky mentioned “it’s a great way for the participants to experience UD without physically being here. They’ve even designed the room with brick to match our campus here in Dayton.” This in-person experience allows the participants to finish their learning together, in community. “There’s no substitute for human interaction”, Sky reflects. “It’s a striking contrast from meeting them via video introductions and actually meeting them face to face. An online system doesn’t give you a full understanding of who a person is as a learner.”

“Learning about the nuances of the Dreamers’ experience was powerful. Add the bicultural component, and it offers a dynamic opportunity to tailor the curriculum to specific group. How were the experiences they had as Dreamers going to impact “who and how” they defined themselves as teachers? That was a significant learning moment for myself as an instructor”, Sky shared. 

Of the fifteen participants, seven finished the certificate program this summer, and have already seen the impact of the program in expanding their teaching opportunities. Another cohort of twenty-four students begins at the end of September, and future cohorts are in developments. For more information, visit our website.