A very strong relationship exists between the Norwood Adult ESOL (NAESOL) program and the Metro South/West Employ-ment and Training Resources (ETR) One-Stop Career Center. Students are referred back and forth, and an ETR team member is on the NAESOL Com-munity Advisory Board. Ellen Borgenicht, the NAESOL program counselor, wanted to expand the positive relationship and to ensure that all students in the NAESOL program were thinking about how their career and educational needs were being served. She also wanted to have the most accurate and up-to-date information at the program about "hot careers," pertinent Web sites, and other students' successes. To accomplish these goals, Ellen applied for a student leadership mini-grant from SABES Southeast and Massachusetts Alliance for Adult Literacy (MassAAL).

All NAESOL classes, although leveled by assessments, are in reality multi-level. Each individual comes with a set of strengths and weaknesses in learning styles and in response to life's stresses and opportunities. In this mini-grant project, we targeted the advanced ESOL class. This class could be loosely grouped into students who were unemployed and receiving the services of ETR; those who were underemployed due to their lack of proficiency in English; and a number who wanted to continue with their education. Of course, some students overlapped groups.

Building on Experience
In starting up the minigrant, we drew on our experience in implementing a successful student leadership minigrant the previous year, allowing us to manage our time effectively. Since this particular class had lower level English skills than the former one, along with fewer social interactions with native speakers, we thought the best approach was to present a framework to student leaders, all the while asking them to vote on the possibilities we presented. This was critical in keeping to the tasks involved, developing skills for new leaders, and seeing that the resources were presented to all the levels of classes. Yet we remained very flexible and at times we were not able to stick to our agenda. For in- stance, both Ellen and I had thought that health care careers would be popular. We couldn't have been more surprised when the student leaders found only a couple of students in the entire population with that interest.

Once the calendar was negotiated, I went to work with the students designing a survey of their areas of interest, both in careers and education. We specifically asked for students' desired field trips, guest speakers, and materials. At first, the advanced ESOL class took the survey, and then they conducted the survey by interviewing the other level classes one-on-one. From that exercise, we charted our course. After much discussion, we invited an immigration attorney, a realtor, and mortgage loan officer, to speak to us in class. We also set up a program field trip to ETR and the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, where we were joined by a small business development center counselor from Massachusetts Small Business Development Corporation (MSBDC).

Students contacted the requested speakers, arranged the field trips, and some sought out their own informational interviews by asking Ellen and me for referrals to local professionals in their particular field. Web sites were investigated and compiled, then a handout was reviewed orally with their partners in the other classes. The advanced students were our experts, acting as guides to less experienced students.

Before you think that I am smug about our project, I must tell you how the structures in place just barely saved us. For three months I had organized an interactive workshop for the current students to present at a statewide leadership meeting. Pia Lalli, the classroom teacher, had whipped out index cards as drafts of student presentations. The drafts were then typed in Microsoft Word during computer class, and a student who had just joined the class was recruited to provide constructive input on peoples' oral presentations. I had planned on a dry run with the intermediate class, and a dress rehearsal with the advanced beginners with Ellen in the audience to critique. Despite all this planning, the students were unprepared at the rehearsal. Perhaps this was a group that needed to stumble before they ran. By the time we reached the state workshop, they were professionals. A local TV station filmed part of the workshop. Everyone was raving about the exercises, information, and the way it was conveyed. There was a payoff!

Thanks to Sally Gabb, SABES SE, and Ernest Best, MassAAL, a great deal was achieved. Students grew to meet their multiple roles as family, program, and community leaders. Two students had articles published in the local paper, along with an article in Field Notes. Poster boards and handouts were provided to the Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts at Morrill Memorial Library and the Norwood Town Hall. These same leaders went on to translate our program registration flyer into eight different languages. Additionally, two of our students presented at the MCAE Network Conference on student leadership.

We had a lot of fun, especially when videotaping students' 30-second self-promotion commercials One student proudly ended his ad with "and that's why you won't make a mistake by hiring me!" He showed this tape during the state workshop. Our group photo made the local paper. Students felt empowered and proved to be leaders. They have even begun to think of new projects for this school year!

Mary Ann Sliwa is the technology coordinator and writing workshop teacher at Blue Hills ABE Program/Norwood Adult ESOL. She can be reached at: masliwa@comcast.net