Beacon for English Language & Literacy

10/06/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Our Raffle Winners! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the BEACON for English Language & Literacy booth at the Manassas Fall Jubilee and signed up for our mailing list! We loved meeting so many members of our community and sharing more about BEACON’s mission.

Congratulations to our raffle winners:

🍎 Yankee Candle: Daniela Campbell

🎐 Wind River Chime: Nikki Ebert

🍪 Crumbl Gift Card: Colin Turner

☕ Starbucks Gift Card: Walter Martinez

🍽️ Gainesville Diner Gift Card: David Blosser

Winners, please look for an email from Jen Katac with information about how to claim your prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us grow our BEACON community! We’re grateful for your support and hope you’ll continue following us to learn about our classes, events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support adult English learners in our community.

Thank you for being part of the BEACON community!

10/04/2026

☺️Happy to reconnect with past and future supporters today at the Manassas Fall Jubilee🍁🌻🎃

One of my favorite parts of the Fall Jubilee was getting to reconnect with folks from Beacon for English Language & Literacy.

Adult literacy can be easy to overlook, but it affects so much of daily life, from helping a child with schoolwork to communicating with a teacher, applying for a job, filling out forms, or preparing for citizenship.

In college, I volunteered for almost two years teaching citizenship classes for people preparing for the U.S. citizenship test. Then, one of my first jobs after graduating was serving as BEACON’s Volunteer Coordinator, where I recruited and interviewed volunteers, helped register learners, trained and supported volunteer teachers, and stepped in to teach classes when needed.

Really nice to reconnect with an organization doing such important work in our community.

10/01/2026

🍂 Come See BEACON at the Manassas Fall Jubilee! 🍂

We’re excited to be part of the 43rd Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee on Saturday, October 3! Stop by the BEACON booth (across from Foster's Grille near the Harris Pavillion) to say hello, learn more about our work, test your citizenship knowledge, and enter our FREE mailing list raffle! 🎉

🎁 Enter for your chance to win one of FIVE great prizes:
🍎 Small Red Apple Wreath Scented Yankee Candle
🍪 $25 Crumbl gift card
☕ $25 Starbucks gift card
🥞 $25 Gainesville Diner gift card
🔔 A beautiful 27-inch Wind River Chimes Corinthian Bells Wind Chime, valued at $101!

How to enter:
Simply scan the QR code at our booth and sign up for the BEACON mailing list! You must be 18 or older to enter. That’s it—no purchase necessary!

🏆 Winners will be selected randomly next week from eligible entries received on October 3. Winners will be contacted by email, and their names will also be posted on our page after the drawing.

🇺🇸 Think you could pass the U.S. Citizenship test?
Stop by and challenge yourself with one of our citizenship questions! To pass the oral portion of the actual test, applicants must answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly. How will you do?

Whether you're a BEACON student, volunteer, supporter, or someone curious about what we do, we’d love to see you!

📍 Manassas Fall Jubilee
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Come visit us, enter the raffle, test your citizenship knowledge, and help us grow our BEACON community! 💙

09/04/2026

09/01/2026

Sharing on behalf of Linton Hall School...

Good morning Linton Hall families! We are closing out the final week of our Linton Hall School Discount Card Fundraiser. This is a great opportunity to assist our community in fundraising and supporting the businesses that give us life throughout the school year! 🏆⭐️

LHS Discount Card Fundraiser:
https://app.verticalraise.com/fundraiser/linton-hall-school-discount-card-fundraiser-2026/flyer/2300385/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUDrSlwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWxmU2JiSk1FZUFmeDQ2WHVzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeJOq1IfORb6zukb3j9jqdzJES56yc2DP5Y-b16DDZftlj8p4TFMFbLsUyvHk_aem_UQSOWkEUp0d8-0mVHjE6bg

We are offering Linton Hall School Discount Loyalty Cards that can help provide our families financial relief while also supporting our school every time they shop at one of our participating businesses throughout the year! We are asking our families to consider buying a membership and sharing via email, text, and social media so that as many family and friends may participate as well. Contributions from this fundraiser will be used toward the continued updates and improvements to our school!

Every family who meets the goal of selling 5 memberships will have a special out of uniform day for the entire family to enjoy on a date to be determined by LHS. Specific instructions are included on the attached flyer.

Thank you to our families and community for your continued support! 🏫💙💛

08/27/2026

Join Our Fall 2026 Learning Circles!

Dates: Sept. 15 - Nov. 3, 2026
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 PM
Location: Online, via Zoom

Learning Circles Appointments NOW AVAILABLE!
Pre-register now to schedule your appointment: https://forms.gle/HUps4bZKifRehR9C8

Looking to improve your English skills in a fun and supportive environment? Our FREE Learning Circles are the perfect opportunity! Join informal groups to practice English together and gain access to the Learning Upgrade app for individual practice. Whether you use a phone, tablet, or computer, you can learn anytime, anywhere!

What You’ll Get:
-Weekly group meetings with your Learning Circle
-Access to Learning Upgrade, an English Learning app
-A supportive community to help you succeed
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to enhance your English skills this fall!

08/27/2026

Help your community with BEACON! Support adult immigrants as they build their English skills—no teaching experience or foreign language knowledge required. Full training is provided!

The Fall semester is underway and runs through November 5.

We urgently need:
• One volunteer to co-teach our Low Beginner ONLINE class on Thursday evenings, 7:00–9:00 PM
• One volunteer to teach our High Beginner ONLINE class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 7:00–9:00 PM, OR two volunteers to co-teach—one on Tuesday and one on Thursday.
Familiarity with using Zoom helpful, but not required.

Interested? Sign up for a volunteer information session at https://forms.gle/sn6uVLG5upHrTfuH7 or contact Lisa Sparrow at [email protected] or (703) 368-7491 with any questions

08/25/2026

Help your community with BEACON! Support adult immigrants as they build their English skills—no teaching experience or foreign language knowledge required. Full training is provided!

The Fall semester is underway and runs through November 5.

We urgently need:
• One volunteer to co-teach our Low Beginner ONLINE class on Thursday evenings, 7:00–9:00 PM
• One volunteer to teach our High Beginner ONLINE class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 7:00–9:00 PM, OR two volunteers to co-teach—one on Tuesday and one on Thursday.
Familiarity with using Zoom helpful, but not required.
I
nterested? Sign up for a volunteer information session at https://forms.gle/sn6uVLG5upHrTfuH7 or contact Lisa Sparrow at [email protected] or (703) 368-7491 with any questions.

07/31/2026

📚 Fall 2026 Registration Appointments Now Available! 🍂
We still have several registration intake appointments available for our Fall 2026 English and Citizenship classes!

✅ Registration is by appointment only and completed in- person. During your appointment, you'll complete registration, take a speaking/listening assessment, complete a reading assessment and receive your class placement.

🍁 Fall Session: August 17 – November 5, 2026
💻🏫 Classes available online and in person (Manassas locations)
📖 Cost: $100 for the 12-week session (includes textbook/workbook)
Our Fall 2026 U.S. Citizenship Class will be Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:00–9:00 PM (in person) Cost: $100 (includes the citizenship book and study materials).
📅 Appointments and class spaces are first-come, first-served, so don't wait- the remaining appointments are filling fast! Schedule your appointment today at: https://beaconliteracy.org/registration/

07/17/2026

🍂 BEACON Volunteers: Fall classes are just around the corner, and we want to see how you're getting ready! Pictured: Our Advanced Grammar class teacher, Alan, who is working on some lesson plans for his Fall 2026 classes, even while on vacation!

Our Fall 2026 New Student Registration Appointments are now available at: https://beaconliteracy.org/registration/

Are you organizing your lesson materials, reviewing the curriculum, or enjoying one last summer adventure before classes begin?

📸 Share a photo in the comments and let us know how you're preparing for the Fall session! We love seeing the creativity and dedication of our amazing BEACON volunteers.

Thank you for everything you do to help our adult learners succeed. We can't wait to welcome everyone for the Fall session soon! 💙

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