Adult Education

One of the biggest barriers to many of the adult refugees in South Nashville is the English language.  Many come to the United States without any or very little English skills. Thrive plans to offer three levels of English classes; Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Our lead ESL teachers have their Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification. 

Thrive takes a holistic approach in teaching Citizenship classes.  We strive to give our students the tools they need to pass their interview.  This includes preparation for the Civics questions, reading and writing skills needed for the interview, what to expect at the interview, how to answer the interviewer’s questions, mock interviews and most importantly, building self-confidence.  

Citizenship classes are for Legal Permanent Residents (LPR or Green card holders) who want to become US Citizens. According to the 2018 data from the Center of Study of Immigrant Integration, South Nashville has 3,159 eligible to naturalize residents. Of these, 885 eligible to naturalize residents do not have their High School diploma or its equivalent. To help meet the students in their learning journey, Thrive offers two levels of classes.  Level I classes are for students who need work on improving their English skills for the interview.  Level II classes are for students whose English skills are strong.  Many of our students will take both levels before they have their interview.  

The written test for the TN Driver’s License is difficult.  There are over 400 possible questions using Advanced English words that are not used in everyday conversation.  Thrive’s Driver’s License class is offered to help the student pass this test.  This class does not include behind the wheel training.

Many of the refugees that have resettled in the South Nashville area had very limited educational opportunities in their home countries or refugee camps.  By obtaining their high school equivalency diploma, these refugees will have more opportunities to thrive in the job market or in pursuing higher education.  Thrive plans to offer classes to prepare the students for their HiSet (the Tennessee high school equivalency) exam. 

A hopeful outlook is indispensable for maintaining a positive, upward trajectory toward successful lives. This hopeful outlook includes spiritual wholeness. Thrive plans to encourage times of Bible study in groups so individuals can see the way God is working in their lives.

While each refugee’s story is unique, many in Nashville come from very different cultures where Western life skills were not needed or taught.  Thrive plans to offer life skills classes to help resettled refugees assimilate into the American culture.  Skills to be taught will include simple home maintenance, financial literacy, computer literacy, cooking, sewing, and yard work.