Students in West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) pilot Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) class recently took their learning beyond the classroom by volunteering to clean up The Thread, a popular multi-use trail system in LaGrange.
Led by instructor Trisha Pomerville, the students spent the day giving back to their community while practicing English language skills and applying recent lessons on civic engagement. Before the outing, Pomerville led a class discussion about the benefits of community service and guided students in exploring local volunteer opportunities that matched their interests, skills, and availability. To bring those lessons to life, she partnered with Natalie Hale, Executive Director of The Thread, to organize a hands-on cleanup project where students could experience firsthand the rewards of community involvement.
“The day before, we talked about what it means to be an active member of the community,” Pomerville said. “This cleanup project gave students a real opportunity to put those ideas into practice, connect with one another, and make a positive impact in LaGrange.”
The IELCE program—Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education—is a federally funded initiative that helps adult English language learners build English proficiency while learning about U.S. civics, citizenship, and workforce readiness. The program combines:
- English Literacy: Reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills.
- Civics Education: Instruction on the rights, responsibilities, and principles of U.S. citizenship.
- Workforce Training: Education and skills preparation for in-demand careers.
By integrating English language instruction with civics and workforce training, IELCE programs empower students to become more confident communicators, effective employees, and active community members.
The LaGrange pilot class is among the first at WGTC to implement this integrated approach, and hands-on experiences like this volunteer project are key to connecting classroom lessons with real-world application.
To learn more about West Georgia Technical College’s Adult Education programs, visit www.westgatech.edu/adult-education
