The Penguins Foundation teamed up with Literacy Pittsburgh this month to help foreign-born students build fluency and familiarity with the English language.

With a Penguins Foundation grant, 15 candidates were able to prepare for the U.S. Citizenship test through a 12-week program.

“Through our education pillar, the Penguins Foundation is helping students of all ages in our community,” said Yvonne Maher, executive director of the Foundation.  “Volunteering and meeting with the students and staff was incredibly rewarding and we are grateful to the organization for providing this opportunity.”

On April 23 & 25, volunteers from the Penguins Front Office and the Penguins Foundation visited the Literacy Pittsburgh classrooms to serve as conversation partners.  The goal was to assist the students in developing confidence in communicating and to advance their personal and professional goals as they acclimate to their new home country.

In addition to the Pens Foundation staff, volunteers came from all corners of the Penguins organization including ticketing, development, partnerships, member services, marketing, digital and hockey operations.

“The opportunity to step into the classroom was both fun and fulfilling,” stated Pens Director of Ticket Sales Connor Siskovic. “The conversations I had with the students allowed me not only to establish a connection with them; but, also to gain a sense of the challenges they have faced and the hard work they have dedicated to learning English. I found that I couldn’t help but smile throughout the entire experience.”

The students hailed from across the globe representing South America (Brazil), Central America (Guatemala & Costa Rica), North America (Mexico), Africa (Libya), Central/South Asia (Afghanistan), East Asia (Japan), and the Caribbean (Haiti).

Hockey Operations Senior Data Scientist Katerina Wu added, “Volunteering at Literacy Pittsburgh was a wonderful time! When I moved to America in middle school, I attended ESL classes myself, and it felt like a full-circle moment to be able to help participate now on the other side of the table.  She continued, “I had conversations with students from a variety of backgrounds and countries, and we all learned a bit about each other’s experiences and cultures. Moving to a new country isn’t ever an easy change; but, a program like this does so much to help make the transition as seamless as possible.”

Literacy Pittsburgh offers free educational programs for adults and families in Allegheny County and Beaver County.  Last year, they helped more than 4,000 people in the Greater Pittsburgh area improve their reading, writing, math, English Language, digital literacy, and workplace skills.

“My two visits last week warmed my soul,” said Penguins Sr. Vice President of Development Craig Dunham.  “As we go through our days immersed in our own individual challenges, it was so powerful to meet and talk to the students at Literacy Pittsburgh, to hear their stories of immense challenge and see the joy and hope in their eyes…and to share common experiences and delights as they establish their new lives in Pittsburgh.”