Where there's a will there's a way.
Kay Minis and Jessica Loose, the founders of Sea Change OBX, have deep ties to the Latino community on the Outer Banks of NC. They knew many adults who wanted to improve their English and decided to offer a free evening class one night a week. When Hotline, another local nonprofit, offered free space, Kay and Jessica put out the word that the first class would be held January 14, 2020. They anticipated teaching three leveled classes to about twenty adults weekly. Over sixty showed up, sitting on the floor and lined up along the walls.
From a class to a "colegio"
Kay and Jessica didn't want to turn anyone away. They took names and reached out for more volunteer teachers. The following week, Sea Change had seven classrooms set up with one or two teachers for each group. Learning materials were ready for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.
“We offered a class and ended up with a college – in just two weeks! We knew there was a need but never imagined how great it really was. Thank you to all the tutors for coming forward and banding together so quickly.”
From COVID to Collaboration
In March 2020, after less than two months, COVD forced us to shut down. The virus faded but demand did not. So we started up again in Fall 2022 in collaboration with Dare County Schools. Seven certified teachers and three volunteers jumped in to serve 100 students (not counting a waiting list). We offered 20 one-hour classes on Tuesday nights at Nags Head Elementary School, and celebrated everyone's hard work with an international potluck in spring. Our original intent was to serve the Latino community but we welcomed a handful of Ukrainian and Russian immigrants as well, a reflection of the changing political landscape.