STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Hailey Public Library is offering a free, six-week conversational English class for native Spanish speakers of all abilities.
Conversacion de Ingles will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Fridays beginning Jan. 21.
It will be taught by tutor Leonardo Padilla Sacha, who hails from Peru but has been tutoring at My Space afterschool program in the Meriwether Building.
“We recently wrapped up several listening conversations with our Hispanic neighbors,” said library director Lyn Drewien, “They gave us lots of great ideas for ways we could better serve this large segment of our community. The top suggestion was to offer an English class for native Spanish speakers. We’re excited to see the response.”
The library is able to offer the class with the help of an American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries grant. The library was one of 300 libraries nationwide to receive a grant.
The library held two informal listening conversations last summer to learn of the Hispanic community’s needs and aspirations. The $3,000 grant will support follow-up actions.
Drop-ins will be welcomed, but registration is encouraged at Kristin.fletcher@haileypubliclibrary.org Masks and proof of vaccination will be required to participate.
Questions? Call 208-788-2036.