The Noel Foundation Founder Noel Irwin Hentschel Honors First Graduates of the Foundation Sponsored Soledad Life Academy for Migrant Women Farm Workers
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
The Noel Foundation's founder and president Noel Irwin Hentschel
was on hand to honor the Soledad Life Academy at its very first
commencement program when the new school, partially sponsored by
Hentschel, awarded academic honors to seven students who had
successfully completed the academy's eight-week, tuition-free pilot
program.
The school's graduation certificates were awarded to the students
during commencement ceremonies held this spring on the campus of the
Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey,
California.
The recently instituted Life Academy combined its graduation
ceremonies with The Monterey Institute and the Soledad/Salinas based
Center for Employment Training (CET). All three schools awarded
academic certificates of achievement to the students of their
respective graduating classes.
Hentschel, who is also CEO/Chair/Founder of America's largest
inbound/outbound tourism company, AmericanTours International,
revealed that the Life Academy was created specifically to help women
farm workers - granting priorities to those who reside in remote labor
housing units throughout Soledad and Monterey County.
When students were asked what they learned during the eight-week
instruction period, the enthusiastic graduates made such comments as
"I learned a lot of words and how to write in English"; "I learned to
use the computer"; "I learned about other cultures"; "Coming to this
class has made me realize I'm stronger than I thought and that I can
do things for other people"; and "I feel good about myself now because
our teachers have taught me a lot." At the event's conclusion, all the
students warmly thanked their teachers for the gift of learning
English and making their life in the American workplace so much
easier.
"Everyone has a special talent and the opportunity to do something
worthwhile," said Hentschel. "Mine is that I was able to open this
wonderful school. It is gratifying to see how eager the students are
to learn. The world now becomes more accessible to these remarkable
hard working women."
The Soledad academy is supervised by The Noel Foundation Executive
Director Dr. Anna Vassilieva, Ph.D, an author who was born and raised
in Eastern Siberia, Russia and since 1990 has been a professor of
Russian Studies at the Monterey Institute. "The academy's goal is to
reach-out to women to help them achieve self-sufficiency through
education, human development and occupational skill training," said
Dr. Vassilieva.
Dr. Vassilieva declared that she and The Noel Foundation believe
there is nothing more valuable to give to women than educational
skills and the sense of a caring, engaged community. "It is our joy
and privilege," she emphasized, "to inspire and sponsor the efforts of
migrant women, graduate students and service providers and do
everything we can to empower women here in California."
Under the auspices of The Noel Foundation, MIIS and CET, the
graduation event marked the beginning of what the three institutions
hope will be a continuing source of academic learning for migrant
workers in the Soledad, Salinas and Monterey areas. The mission of
each school is to bring native, Spanish speaking women in Northern
California together for the purpose of their acquiring beneficial
English language skills enabling them to work well and advance within
the American employment system.
With a total of ten volunteer student teachers provided by the
Monterey Institute from its TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of
Other Languages) program, the classes began in Monterey and quickly
expanded to CET's Salinas and Soledad locations.
With the successful completion of the pilot program, The Noel
Foundation and the Monterey Institute are now planning a new fall
course tentatively beginning in September.
In addition to being CEO/Chair/Founder of America's largest
inbound/outbound tourism and marketing organization, AmericanTours
International (ATI), Hentschel is also travel advisor to the US Dept.
of Commerce. ATI generates $3 billion into the US economy annually.
Based in Los Angeles, ATI has 12 regional offices including branches
in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Orlando, Honolulu and
Beijing, China.
Hanson & Schwam
Mike Casey, 310-248-4476 (direct)
mcasey@hspr.net
Copyright Business Wire 2008
