Tag: community outreach

EC San Diego Volunteers!

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: ,

Two EC San Diego students assist residents of Casa Loma during a local EC volunteer event What does volunteer mean?  To volunteer is to help others without being paid money.  Volunteering is a good way to help the community, make new friends, and practice your English! There are many opportunities to volunteer with EC San Diego, giving students a place to use what they learn in their EC San Diego English courses out in the real world! The easiest and most convenient way to volunteer is to go to a local retirement home with other EC students. Twice a month you have the opportunity to go to Casa Loma, a retirement community near EC.  Teacher Autumn and students go there and talk to elderly people who are very friendly.  It’s also a good way to practice your English! This month Teacher Autumn will take students on Thursday, August 18th at 2:15pm.  Sign up at the front desk and go with us! There are many other opportunities to volunteer in San Diego.  There are several beach clean-ups with organizations like I Love a Clean San Diego (http://www.cleansd.org/). If you want to help with animals or use a skill that you have to assist others, you can check out this website for more volunteer opportunities in the community: http://www.volunteermatch.org/.

Our New Student Intern, Jiana!

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Hello, I am Jian So (call me Jiana!) from South Korea. It has been about 3 months since I arrived in America. I have started to work as an intern at EC, a San Diego English Center, since March 28th. I am working as an assistant at the front desk arranging files, making flyers and so on. Come say hi to me anytime! It is very lucky for me to work at this beautiful place, La Jolla. We can see wonderful sea sights just in 5 minutes by walking from school. Also there are many nice places and restaurants to have dates with others. I am so excited because not only my career will be definitely supported, but my communication skills will improve when I continue to immerse myself in ESL San Diego. I don’t want to miss this perfect chance to grow. Thank you EC San Diego!  

Volunteering at EC San Diego

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Uncategorized / Tags: , , ,

There are many volunteer opportunities for students studying English in the USA. Volunteering while learning English can be very rewarding, some of our students volunteer at various places in the city. Students have opportunities throughout the year to participate in beach clean ups, food drives, and walks/runs for various important causes.   EC San Diego students have the unique opportunity to volunteer once or twice a month at the local retirement home.  Students volunteer to speak English at dinner and over coffee with the residents, who greatly appreciate having the chance to speak with younger people. One student from Japan is currently volunteering by working in the restaurant at the retirement home.  He really enjoys being a volunteer there because he gets to meet a lot of new people and make new friends.  He says that, it is important to volunteer because you can experience new things and people.  He also enjoys getting to experience and observe the restaurant etiquette in the United States because it is so different from restaurants in Japan.  He would definitely recommend volunteering to all students coming to the United States to learn English. Volunteering can give students something important to do while they are studying. It is also an opportunity for them to speak with native speakers which is important to improving their English quickly.    

EC San Diego June Calendar

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , ,

EC San Diego’s calendar has arrived! Check out all of our activities for the month of June below! San Diego County Fair on June 6th:  Join us at the annual San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar fairgrounds. There will be rides, food, concerts, exhibits and much more!  Tickets are $10 per person.   Student Presentations on June 10th:  Student presentations on Columbia and Venezuela will be given in the student lounge at 1:30pm.   EC Movie Night on June 13th:  Come and watch the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park series “Jurassic World,” at 4pm!   “Explore Little Italy” on June 14th:  Explore Little Italy with your classmates!  There will be a farmer’s market from 9am-2pm and a Ballast point brewery tour for those +21 at 12pm.   “Summer Kick off Party” on June 17th:  San Diego experiences will be throwing a summer kick off boat party! Tickets are $25-$35 per person.   Visit Birch Aquarium on June 18th:  Visit Birch aquarium in La Jolla at 2pm.  Tickets are $10! Be sure to have your student ID.   San Diego Zoo trip on June 21st:  Visit the world famous San Diego Zoo.  Sign up and pay by June 18th.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the front desk.   “Tie Dye Tuesday” on June 23rd:  Create your own Tie Dye Tuesday clothing item between 12:30-2:30pm.  Sign up at the front desk by June 18th!  Bring your own white clothing item!   “EC Karaoke Night” on June 25th:  EC Karaoke night will take place at Karaoke 101 in Kearney Mesa at 8pm. Come and sign up at the front desk!   San Diego Padre’s game on June 27th:  AY coordinator Autumn will be leading taking students to a San Diego Padre’s baseball game.  Tickets are $20 per … Read more

EC San Diego host family Highlight

Category: Accommodation, EC San Diego Profiles, Student Services / Tags: , , ,

  Meet one of EC San Diego’s best host family’s, Sam and Anna Martinez! Anna and I have lived in the University City area for over thirty years and have just recently celebrated our 40th anniversary together. We have three grown children; Adam, Matthew, and Sarah, plus seven grandchildren. We have been hosting students for the last 25 years with EC San Diego home stay program , and the school that was here before EC. The students were always a great addition to our home, as our children adapted well to them and looked to them as brothers and sisters. One thing I like about hosting, aside from the relationships formed, is the opportunity to see the students grow and improve their English skills. I keep reminding them to “Think in English” and they really take that to heart. It’s so cool to see them grow with each passing day.  Living with a host family is a great way to enhance your ESL classes in San Diego. As far as tips for other host families, I believe as host parents we all have our own way of making the students time with us a memorable and pleasant experience. For Anna and I, the experience begins the day they arrive in our home. One thing I like to do is give them a complete tour of the surrounding areas. For example, I show them the bus route to the school, where to shop and eat, and of course the beaches. After we take a trip through downtown, it’s back home to go over the rules of their new home, from where things are in the kitchen, to how to use the washer and dryer. We cover everything they may need to know all on that first day. In the end I tell them … Read more

EC San Diego students listen to their peers' presentations and take notes in English

EC San Diego: English Immersion and Community Outreach

Category: Academic, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

At EC San Diego, we take pride in our ability to seamlessly merge learning English via the classroom with cultural immersion and community outreach. This philosophy and practice make our EC center the best English language school in San Diego! Every month, EC San Diego students have two fantastic opportunities to practice their English and give back to the local La Jolla community by sharing their lives with senior citizens at Casa de Mañana, a nearby retirement community.  On the third Wednesday of every month, students are invited to dinner at Casa de Mañana for a “Dinner & Conversation” event. During this event, Casa de Mañana residents host tables for EC students who enjoy a free, delicious meal while getting to know the residents and each other. The hosts at Casa enjoy the opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, and the students get great experience talking to native English speakers and the opportunity to hear many fascinating stories.  A former student, Edilene Storti, who attended Casa in January said, “Being at Casa de Mañana was the most surprising and delightful experience I’ve had in San Diego. In my country, when it comes to visiting a retirement house, it’s usually sad to see that people who live there were, most of times, abandoned by their families. Casa de Mañana was different from my expectations; I could meet English speakers who were extremely interesting people full of joy and of life!” The day after the “Dinner and Conversation” event, students chosen by EC San Diego teachers and staff give presentations at Casa de Mañana about their home countries! Each month, more and more Casa residents come to listen to the presentations and learn about EC students’ home countries.  Giving a presentation is a great way for EC San Diego students to practice their presentation skills (in English, of course!) and … Read more

Student Soraya’s Guide to EC and San Diego!

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services, Student Testimonial / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Soraya Silva came to us from Brazil in January and spent two weeks participating in EC San Diego’s General English course at the Upper Intermediate level.  Read what this incredible and intelligent lady has to say about her EC experience:  Hi everybody! I`m going to talk a little about my trip to San Diego in California. Well to begin, I want to introduce the city. It is a very big and different city. It has a lot of magnificent beaches like Pacific Beach or La Jolla Beach. You can rest on the sand, lie in the sun, get a tan, ride bicycles, have ice cream and so on. Indeed, we have a lot of things to do at in San Diego on a sunny day. But if you want to see big buildings and witness the city world, you should go Downtown.   You can always find interesting things and places to visit. For example, Balboa Park is a huge park with lots of trees and flowers. You can have a relaxing picnic with your friends under one of these big trees. And the most interesting thing is that you can find several museums inside this park. When I was there, I visited the National History Museum and I could see the Discovery King Tut and feel the atmosphere of Egypt during the pre-historic times. Near this park, there is very famous place called the San Diego Zoo. You can find many different animals that we do not have in Brazil. I loved to see the Koala Bears. They are so cute!! And the Flamingos, too. They look like someone painted them with a bright pink colored pencil Another place worth speaking about is Old Town San Diego. When you arrive there, it’s like being in a Western movie. You see old houses … Read more

EC Student Ambassador: Kento Higa

Category: Activities, EC San Diego Profiles, Student Services, Student Testimonial / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi!! My name is Kento Higa. I’m from Okinawa Japan [where] I was born and raised. I’m 21 years old. I’ve been in San Diego for three months and in my free time I like reading manga in English, listening to music, and playing basketball. My dream is to become an English teacher in Japan. I became a student ambassador at EC San Diego to improve my teaching skills, leadership experience and English skills. I thought it is a really good learning opportunity for me, so I accepted it. I want to join all EC’s events and I want to enjoy EC and the city of San Diego!! Of course, I want to improve my English. I’m going to give my best to be [a responsible] student ambassador, even though I’m not perfect. I hope all ambassadors will be good English speakers and we will able to have a great time in San Diego. Find out more about our incredible volunteer program at EC’s English language school in San Diego

EC San Diego Gives Back: Feeding the Homeless

Category: Academic, Activities, Around San Diego, EC San Diego Profiles, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , ,

This past weekend members of EC San Diego’s Global Citizenship Course led by teacher Karen Salerni volunteered to feed the homeless in Ocean Beach. EC San Diego staff, students, and teachers were all invited to participate. EC San Diego’s Global Citizenship Course is just one of the many things that sets our school apart from other English language schools in the US. Read below to see how this experience helped enhance our students’ EC experience in San Diego: We planned a BBQ to feed the homeless on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day because it is a day of service in the U.S. We went to Ocean Beach on Monday, January 19, from 2-5 p.m. We started to plan the BBQ two weeks earlier. We were in a rush to do many things, such as making signs for EC students and homeless individuals to announce the BBQ; walking around classrooms to inform students of the BBQ; and collecting money from students as a donation to buy food for the homeless. On the day of the BBQ, we arrived at Ocean Beach at 2 pm and some students prepared for the BBQ. Meanwhile, other students and Teacher Karen invited homeless individuals in the area to join the BBQ. About 20 students and 30 homeless people came to the BBQ. We enjoyed the meal and spending time with them, which included chatting, playing soccer and listening to the music that two of the homeless people played. In the beginning, to be honest, we had a kind of prejudice for the homeless. However, through this experience, we changed our attitudes to the homeless. Specifically, we found out that they are pretty friendly and peaceful. In addition, most of them have been suffering from hunger, so we have to continue to help them as much as we can! … Read more

November Activity Calendar, 2014

Category: Activities, Around San Diego, Student Services / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Remember, Remember: It Now is November! EC San Diego’s NEW November Activity Calendar is now available! Check out the following activities and events that will take your full immersion English course to the next level: 1. November 5th: “Girl Talk” Activity & Class with Teacher Gina! “Venting” in English can be really fun, so sign up at the front desk ladies!! 2. November 8th: 18+ Concert “Audien” at the House of Blues!  This 18+ concert will be held in one of San Diego’s BEST venues, the House of Blues! Tickets are $20 – please go to front desk for more information. 3. November 11th: No School – EC Closed for National Veteran’s Day Holiday! Tuesday’s an off day, everyone! 4. November 12th: “Guy Talk” Activity with Teacher JJ! Meet JJ outside EC at 6:15PM. Please bring money — the “talk” will take place at a local restaurant of JJ’s choosing! Sign up in the white binder at the Front Desk! 5. November 13th: Start Celebrating Thanksgiving By (you guessed it) Giving Thanks! Come to the front desk to fill your thankful feather: “I am thankful for _______”… 6. November 20th: EC Soccer Game At The Cove — Team E vs. Team C! Go the front desk to sign your name and choose a team letter. Everyone will meet Student Counselor Ell at the front desk at 1:15pm. All are welcome to join when they can! 7. November 23rd: EC Trip to the San Diego Zoo! Sign up and pay at the front desk – $20, cash only. Remember to ask for directions!! 8. November 25th: Pajama Day at EC! Wear your comfiest nighttime attire to school in celebration of Fall – and sleeping! 9. November 26th: Pumpkin Pie Social at EC! Free pie and whipped cream for all from 12:45 – 1:30pm in the … Read more