Adult Education
What We Do
CMAA’s Adult Education Program provides free education to adult immigrants and refugees in both our Chicago and Elgin locations. We offer free English as a Second Language classes (ESL), civics, citizenship, healthcare bridge, and computer literacy classes as well as individual ESL tutoring. Our goal is to help adults obtain the skills necessary to become successful in entering employment or postsecondary education, to become self-sufficient citizens, and to achieve their individual ambitions.
1,010
Students served through Adult Education classes this year
440
Students advanced a minimum of 2 reading grade levels this year
20
Students who became U.S. Citizens this year
38
Clients earned CPR and First Aid certification this year
Free English Education
Funded by the Illinois Community College Board
CMAA provides free English as a Second Language classes to adult immigrants and refugees with limited English proficiency. Classes are offered in levels ranging from beginner to advanced and focus on preparing students for integration into the workforce and society. Higher-level students are offered civics-focused ESL classes that cover information about citizenship, health resources, community resources, and other important topics. All classes integrate employability skills and workforce readiness skills to prepare students for the workforce and/or further education.
Classes are offered in the morning, afternoon, and evenings during the week and on Saturdays. We offer four terms: summer, fall, winter, and spring. Students are asked to commit to the full length of the class term and attend all classes.
CMAA offers classes at our site in Chicago and our site in Elgin. Please contact Shuang Huang at shuangh@chinesemutualaid.org or (773) 784-2900 ext. 140 for classes in Chicago and contact Udon Thao at udont@chinesemutualaid.org or call (224) 227-7499 for classes in Elgin. In addition to classes, CMAA offers transition services and career pathways to all adult education students by providing individualized case management.
For more information, please contact :
Shuang Huang at shuangh@chinesemutualaid.org for more details.
Free Contextualized Healthcare Literacy Education
Funded by the Illinois Community College Board, CMAA's Healthcare Employment Preparation Program offers healthcare literacy courses and holistic case management to program participants. The class is for adult learners interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. The class focuses on strengthening participants’ employability skills, English reading and writing skills, and preparing students to enter a career within the healthcare industry or pursue further educational opportunities. Students will receive exposure to healthcare industry professions and earn an Adult/Pediatric CPR & First Aid Certification from the American Red Cross.
For more information, please contact :
Ashley Roll at ashleyr@chinesemutualaid.org for more details.
Free English Tutoring
Funded by the Illinois Secretary of State, CMAA offers free English tutoring to adult English-language learners. Students meet with volunteer tutors for one to two hours a week at a convenient meeting time and location. Lesson plans are tailored to meet the individual needs of the students.
This service is made possible by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a division of the Illinois Office of the Secretary of State, using state funds designated for literacy.
For more information, please contact :
tutoring@chinesemutualaid.org or (773) 784-2900 ext. 120 for more details.
ADULT EDUCATION - ELGIN
Funded by the Illinois Community College Board and the Grand Victoria Foundation, CMAA Elgin provides free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adult immigrants and refugees with limited English proficiency. We serve students from beginning literacy to advanced level English, preparing students for success in U.S. society and the workforce. Classes are currently offered in the morning and afternoon throughout the year. Students are asked to commit to the full length of the class term and attend all classes.
For more information, please contact :
Udon Thao at (224) 227-7499 or
elginesl@chinesemutualaid.org for ESL classes in Elgin. CMAA Elgin is located at 357 Division Street Unit #3 in Elgin, Illinois.
Free Office & Administrative Technology Bridge Program
Funded by the Illinois Community College Board, the Office Technology Bridge program is a technology course designed to give students the necessary technology skills to succeed and thrive in the workplace. This class teaches a range of skills, from basic computer settings and functions, to common workplace software. Students learn to write professional emails, schedule virtual events, perform data analysis in Excel and more. In addition, students work one-on-one with a Career Advisor to set education and employment goals, polish their resumes, and apply for jobs.
For more information, please contact :
Ashley Roll at ashleyr@chinesemutualaid.org for more details.
Our Testimonials
Nikolay | From Ukraine
"For me, CMAA is very important because I can study English to communicate with American people, attend university or improve my professional skills in engineering and mechanics."
Gene | From Ethiopia
"When I come my first time here, I cannot speak, write, I cannot [do] anything. After that, CMAA helps me with my English class, computer class, and to get a job. Now I can talk to customers at [my work], my boss, and my doctor."
Xiaodong | From China
"I study English [at CMAA]. The teacher is very good. I want independence for myself. If I don't study English, I [can't] do anything."