Education
Lack of access to quality education is one of the main contributors to the cycle of poverty. This is especially true for non-native born people who struggle to attain even the basic level of literacy they need to succeed in school and in life. WEDI’s Education program addresses this critical issue by supporting 1st-12th grade English Language Learners (ELL) through four programs: ENERGY (elementary-aged students), FLY (middle schoolers), Launch (high schoolers), and Peer Support Groups. Taken as a continuum, these programs scaffold the building blocks of literacy—reading, writing, and speaking English—with increasing social-emotional support to help students
achieve academic success, navigate higher education and career opportunities, and achieve economic stability and independence. The programs also support families acclimate to life in Buffalo while maintaining their own cultural identities.
For general questions about our Education programs, please contact Courtney Yonce at cyonce@wedibuffalo.org.
ENERGY's summer program was named Say Yes Buffalo's 2022 Education Program of the Year!
Summer 2022 Highlights
What an amazing summer!! ENERGY and FLY students were visited by Buffalo police and firefighters, met the new superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, modeled in a fashion show, treated to ice cream for good behavior, and created a vegetable garden.
Launch students learned how to build canoes with Buffalo Maritime Charter School. Using STEM concepts, the kids learned how to troubleshoot challenges that arose during construction. On September 1, the kids celebrated all their hard work and canoed Hoyt Lake in their canoes. In the video below, Launch student Laviba explains what she and her fellow classmates learned working with the Buffalo Maritime Center.
Watch our FLY students speak about their real-life experiences in this video from Global Citizen.