"America's strength is in its diversity," says Marion Ramirez, a former teacher from New Orleans, who founded Your English School (YES) in 1994. She envisioned a school for women of all faiths, races and cultures, offering high quality but low cost instruction in conversational English. She gathered together a group of experienced teachers, and after several months of planning the school finally opened in the First Congregational Church in Boulder. Classes meet two mornings a week.

At first 20 women registered for classes, but now the student population has grown to about 80 students, and men are now admitted. The school also offers daycare facilities so parents can attend classes and have their children on site. Your English School is now an accredited instructional institution and students graduate with a certificate. "There is a graduation ceremony at the end of each semester," said Ramirez, "and it can be very emotional. The students really bond with each other." Ramirez laughed about finding a note in the suggestion box one day asking for "school every day."

Ramirez was the first director of YES. Now she teaches the Level Two class - there are seven levels in all. Currently Ramirez's class has students from Russia, the Ukraine, China, Mexico, Albania, Morocco, and Rumania, all of whom are emerging English speakers. Ramirez focuses on hands-on instruction about telephone skills, letter writing, banking and check writing, time and date, weights and measures, ordering in restaurants and tipping, American holidays, and the alphabet in English to name but a few topics. When one student was pregnant they held a baby shower for her - a typical American custom. Ramirez said it is gratifying to see "friendships develop across all cultures." She especially recalled a devout Muslim woman becoming good friends with a Jewish man, and a Japanese woman making meso soup for her Mexican friends.

"Learning English is very empowering for them," Ramirez said as she recalled one student who, after a few classes, was delighted that she could navigate the phone directory and call a plumber to fix a leaking pipe. Ramirez told about her own experience while living briefly in France. She did not know the language well enough to spell out her name to make a hair appointment, and how alienating and humbling that felt.

Tommie Atanasoff, current director of YES, described Ramirez as "an excellent teacher who is loved by her students. Her students are always motivated by her teaching techniques and warm caring personality. She is an outstanding volunteer who has made many valuable contributions to our school and students."

For information about volunteering with Your English School (YES) or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904, or go to our Volunteer Central.