Impact of learning center started by master’s student Paula Manrique Pfeffer featured on NPR
The learning center supporting undocumented families that was established by graduate student Paula Manrique Pfeffer was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.
When public schools in Ann Arbor closed and learning moved online, many parents feared losing their jobs if they stayed home to help their children with online school. Manrique Pfeffer organized a group of undocumented families and created an in-person learning hub for kids kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Twenty-four students at Ann Arbor Community Learning Center have been doing their virtual classwork on computers provided by the public school district, with the support of the center's volunteers and teachers.
The center is hosted by the Church of the Good Shepherd, which has a long history of being an ally to local undocumented families. When the pandemic hit, the church stopped holding worship in person and the Rev. Deborah Dean-Ware said the opportunity to host the learning center was a way for their congregation to engage in its mission.
Manrique Pfeffer says coordinating a learning center for undocumented families during a pandemic isn't just about creating a safe place for students, but also recognizing other challenges they face, like not having a driver's license.
The learning hub is funded entirely by donations, and depends on parents who volunteer to clean the church after school. The donations have allowed Manrique Pfeffer to hire Robin Armstrong, a licensed Montessori teacher and two part-time bilingual assistants to help with assignments the children get from their teachers in the virtual classrooms.
“As a Montessori teacher, it's very important for me to make sure they have the opportunity to engage in activities beyond the academic part,” Armstrong said, adding that the kids go out on the church grounds to explore nature, play games, and do some gardening.