Adults: New Neighbors

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The New Neighbors English Language Learner (ELL) program offers English classes and services to immigrants and refugees from around the world who have settled in Alexandria and the Northern Virginia area. With a mission of helping adults and families through multiple services, the program provides a safe place where people from many cultures can build friendships and become thriving members of our community while learning English.

New Neighbors is a two-semester, academic year program that includes:

• Multiple levels of adult English classes taught with a structured curriculum utilizing a rich selection of teaching materials
• Family literacy events for parents and children to strengthen speaking and reading skills at home
• Guest speakers who provide information on entrepreneurship, jobs, housing, educational opportunities, and legal services
• Additional learning opportunities such as computer skills classes, a citizenship course, books clubs, and field trips

On average, 75-80 percent of students demonstrate enough progress to advance to the next level of instruction at the end of each academic year.  Students report high satisfaction with the classes and enjoy being part of a caring, multicultural community.

Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Program Year

New Neighbors offers classes during two semesters (September-December and February-May) each year. Fall classes are scheduled to take place 9/14/26 through 12/16/26, except for Thanksgiving Break (11/25 – 11/27) and holidays on 9/21, 10/12, 11/2, and 11/11. Spring classes are scheduled to take place 2/1/27 through 5/12/27, except for Spring Break (3/22-3/26) and holidays on 2/15 and 2/10. 

For complete information about the New Neighbors Fall 2026 Semester, click here to see the flyer. You can also see the flyer translations in  Amharic,  Arabic,  Pashto, Persian, and Spanish. 

Hours & Location

Classes take place at the Campagna Center Headquarters (418 S Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and afternoons from 9:30 am -11:30 am (Levels Intro-3) or 12:00pm -2:00PM (Levels 4-7). Each class will be for two hours, with a 30-minute break during 11:30 am – 12:00 pm where we will still host our popular Table Talk program (inviting outside organizations to share information about their services) and allow community members across all eight levels to connect. The breakdown of classes is as follows:

Fees

The semester fee is $125 per student. This includes the textbook costs as well as access to additional services and programs, such as our  Citizenship class series offered each semester for free for all current students and NN alumni. Payment can be submitted via credit/debit card online during registration or via cash/checks made out to the “Campagna Center”.  Payment is required to reserve your spot. 

Registration

Fall 2026 semester registration is now OPEN. If interested in taking ELL classes in the Fall 2026, please fill out the registration form using the link below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fall26nnreg.  If you have any questions, please email the team at newneighbors@campagnacenter.org . 

Additional Programs & Events

All current and former New Neighbors students are invited to participate in additional programs (please click on links below for more information and to register). Registration is REQUIRED for the following:  

• Citizenship Course: The course will include prep for the citizenship exam interview with focus on the Civics and U.S. History information that is part of the interview. It will take place virtually via Zoom, on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:15 pm, running from 9/16-12/2 (with no classes on 9/30 and 11/25). Please be sure to register here to make sure you receive the Zoom information prior to the first class on 9/16:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fall26citizenship 

Seeking Volunteer Teachers!

If you have a passion for working with adult learners who are highly motivated to improve their English, please consider joining our dedicated team of volunteer teachers to make a difference in not only your life, but an adult learner’s life. Classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in morning and afternoon during the academic year. No prior ESL teaching experience is required, although volunteers should be fluent in English. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at newneighbors@campagnacenter.org or complete the volunteer interest form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NNvolunteerform

If you have any questions, please contact the team at newneighbors@campagnacenter.org for more information.

In the words of one of our volunteers, Ms. Knox: “Learning English is a first step for immigrants toward becoming a real part of their neighborhood, to making friends, to helping their children through school, to getting a job. Volunteering with New Neighbors gives me the opportunity to help make that happen. In the process, I also meet amazing people from around the world and learn more about their cultures and traditions as I teach them about ours.”

Contact

For more information, please contact: newneighbors@campagnacenter.org