Sri Sathya Sai International Organization - USA

For many of us, English is so familiar that we rarely pause to consider what it makes possible—independence, connection, and confidence in everyday life. We truly understand this privilege only when we meet people for whom a simple phone call, appointment, or an errand can feel daunting while they are still learning the language. Members of the Sri Sathya Sai International Organization (SSSIO) in the Seattle area experienced this firsthand when our partner, Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW), invited us to support their clients—primarily Ukrainian refugees—by helping them practice conversational English for daily life in the United States.

SSSIO members initiated the PEARL program with the primary goal of helping participants build confidence in their English-speaking skills—so they can converse comfortably, without hesitation, and learn to use everyday words more effectively. Members strive to provide a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space where participants can practice at their own pace. The conversational scenarios are intentionally simple and practical, such as introducing oneself, interacting at places like grocery stores and banks, and practicing phone conversations—like calling a doctor’s office to schedule an appointment.

The team first conducted a small pilot program from February through April 2025, supporting around seven students. During this period, members held approximately 100 classes at a weekly cadence. The pilot was quite successful, and several students shared highly encouraging feedback—the sessions helped them gain confidence, feel less afraid of conversations, and strengthen their vocabulary and overall English-speaking skills.

Building on the success of the pilot, the team launched the first cohort with an in-person kickoff on September 27, 2025. Classes then ran from October 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026, with two holiday breaks built into the schedule. In total, 21 female and 10 male volunteers participated as tutors, supporting approximately 27 female and 9 male students. On average, there were roughly 26 scheduled sessions each week, and across the cohort, about 240 classes were conducted. Classes are conducted virtually on the Teams platform. Each student participated in two classes per week, while tutors supported two to three students per class; tutors are assigned to lead only one class per week to keep workloads balanced.

Overall, the program was very successful, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the students and our partner organization VOAWW. Our members also found the experience deeply satisfying throughout the cohort. Many students attended classes regularly and demonstrated sincere interest in learning. In one memorable example, a student and tutor even took a field trip to a grocery store to practice conversational English in a real-life setting—an amazing learning experience. During the field trip, the student independently purchased groceries and communicated throughout the trip. Here is a comment from a student - “My teacher uses simple language to help me practice English. As a result, I feel confident speaking during class and am no longer afraid to practice, even when I make mistakes.”

Many tutors described the program as a deeply rewarding opportunity to serve in a small but meaningful way, and shared that it offered valuable life lessons—especially seeing students’ punctuality, sincerity with homework, and the “aha” moments when concepts clicked. A tutor shared her experience - “My tutoring experience was overall positive. She was an enthusiastic student, ready to learn. She did well with reading but speaking is where she struggled, so I incorporated more speaking exercises to help her.”

Tutors were inspired by the students’ zeal and endurance, noting that many students arrived with a smile despite challenging circumstances, and that meeting students in person made the experience even more endearing and worth continuing. They also observed that mock conversations tied to students’ real ambitions (such as returning to teaching or running a salon), along with weekly notes and light homework, worked especially well. We are grateful to VOAWW and all SSSIO members who served with patience and love; through the PEARL program, we saw that practicing language can also nurture courage, connection, and hope.