The Welcoming Center and Comcast recently visited People Acting to Help, 1919 Cottman Ave., to provide laptops and certificates to students graduating from an English Learners class.
Comcast had two IT workers on hand to help the students set up their new laptops.
The month-long class taught digital literacy skills to help immigrants adapt and thrive in a digital world.
“I am so proud of you all,” said Stephanie L. Kosta, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs and Community Impact at Comcast.
Comcast provided enough laptops for The Welcoming Center to distribute them to future participants of its English to Speakers of Other Languages and Digital Skills program, as well as to participants in its Entrepreneurship, Community Leadership and Work Readiness programs.
Comcast also awarded The Welcoming Center with a $30,000 grant to support immigrant participants in its digital equity programs.
The class was taught by Becca Levy-Diedrich and Mamadou Pethe Balde, who began the course explaining how to turn on a computer and watched their students grow.
“You are all doing amazing work in this class,” Levy-Diedrich said.
“This will impact your lives positively,” said Balde, who immigrated from Guinea last year.
Students come from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Haiti, Morocco, Ethiopia and Yemen.
“We are here to support you,” said Anuj Gupta, president and CEO of The Welcoming Center.
State Rep. Jared Solomon was among those who attended the Dec. 12 event and spoke of the importance of immigrants being proficient in English and literate digitally.
Solomon and others listened to students express gratitude for the assistance they received.
Nadia Ashraf, a native of Pakistan, presented an ajrak – a traditional, hand-printed fabric – to Levy-Diedrich, who is leaving to be an English as a Second Language professor at Community College of Philadelphia.
Ashraf said she considers Levy-Diedrich a friend, not just a teacher.
“I can never forget The Welcoming Center, and I can never forget Miss Becca and Mamadou,” she said. ••
