In 1993?at the request of Our Lady Queen of the Americas Catholic Church?a handful of volunteers began teaching evening and Sunday classes to 200 parishioners from Central America. With access to just a single computer, the program focused on English as a Second Language (ESL), Graduate Equivalency Degrees (GED), and US Citizenship classes. Job openings were posted on a bulletin board in the hallway.

From these humble beginnings, Washington English Center has expanded its English literacy education and workforce preparation programs to adult immigrants from across the greater Washington area. Today, over 800 students representing 100+ countries are supported by 350 volunteers each term. These committed, well-trained volunteers act as teachers, tutors, job coaches, and mentors.

WEC partners with dozens of community organizations to ensure that our students have access to health, legal, and other life impacting services. We offer frequent events and info sessions to connect our learners with these resources. WEC also offers field trips, special interest clubs, and social activities, all free of charge. These extracurriculars build a sense of community and contribute to our vision that all immigrants have access to the support they need to achieve their goals.