Sewa’s ASPIRE program: Empowering children from underserved communities

: Kids watching an educational video at one of the ASPIRE centers / Sewa

15-year-old Samiksha Chetri is a confident and bright high school student, well-integrated into American society. But that was not the case a decade ago when Samiksha’s family first arrived in the United States as refugees from Nepal. They moved into the Los Arcos Apartments in Houston, a community popular with recent immigrants and refugees from different parts of the world. As a new American resident, Samiksha barely spoke any English and struggled to communicate in school and with friends. 

It was then that Samiksha’s mother became aware of Sewa’s ASPIRE (Assuring Student Progress in Remedial Education) program. ASPIRE provides immigrant children and their families the resources and skills needed to thrive in their newly adopted country. Since its founding, ASPIRE has helped children from over 40 countries in their overall development, nurturing the knowledge and qualities required for social and academic success, such as emotional intelligence, competence in core subjects, critical thinking, and creativity. 

Teachers from ASPIRE worked with Chetri for hours each day and at the end of the school year, Samiksha was not only able to speak English fluently but there was a dramatic improvement in her overall development. 

ASPIRE addresses the education gaps that many children face due to cultural and language barriers and it comes at no cost to the students and their families. Apart from helping new immigrants and refugees, ASPIRE also helps children from inner-city low-income families. Each ASPIRE center is housed in an apartment that’s been converted into a learning space and these apartments are housed in the complex where the students live.  Each center develops a style that meets the needs of the children that it serves. Those needs are based on differences in English language ability, cultural background, age, schools they attend, and personal development challenges.

Kids doing some artwork for Christmas / Sewa

Sewa International, a faith-based humanitarian nonprofit introduced the ASPIRE tutorials program in Houston in 2013. It began as an after-school homework help center for elementary school students in apartment complexes where refugees and immigrants lived. The program has now expanded to two large school districts in southwest Houston. 

“Four years ago, AmeriCorps decided to partner with Sewa on the ASPIRE Houston project. I am proud to say that since the beginning of this partnership, Sewa AmeriCorps ASPIRE has served over 2500 students, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds,” said Kavita Tewary, who has served as the director of the program since its inception. Over 83 percent of participants have shown better engagement in school and almost 80 percent have improved their grades. “Our vision has evolved to not just address the child but to include the entire family in our services. Our ASPIRE tutorial centers have now evolved into ASPIRE community centers, providing resources and services to families of our students, addressing the social-emotional determinants of wellbeing like mental health, community health, Adult ESL, and job readiness,” Tewary said.  

ASPIRE has served as a successful model for a public nonprofit partnership that effectively addresses these issues at the grassroots level. Carol Juarez currently serves as the program manager for AmeriCorps and previously worked as a teacher for the program, she highlights the importance of such partnerships. “For non-profit organizations, the importance of partnering with governmental entities such as AmeriCorps lies in the capacity-building support the relationship affords.AmeriCorps Members help to expand an organization’s footprint in the communities they serve. And, when those Members are recruited from those same communities, the benefit to all comes full circle, perpetuating a self-vitalizing process that raises the individual so that the entire community thrives. Ultimately, this is the goal for all non-profits on the frontlines of humanitarian action,” said Carol.  

ASPIRE Houston teachers at a fundraiser for Turkey earthquake /

After the success of the program in Houston, Sewa decided to expand it to several other cities, establishing a strong partnership with local schools and tutors. Today, Sewa’ ASPIRE is successfully running in Atlanta, Cleveland, and the Bay Area. ASPIRE will also expand to Baltimore very soon, this particular program is supported by some private donors and Adobe, a well-known software company. 

Shayla Gutierrez Torres, an aspiring teacher from Georgia State University, discovered the ASPIRE Atlanta program through her university’s jobs-related website and decided to join as a tutor. Gutierrez leveraged ASPIRE’S virtual classroom format to teach kids who were unable to join in person, allowing her a wider reach. “Having grown up just above the poverty line, I was able to relate to the challenges faced by these students who were left without proper support to navigate a new culture,” Shyla said. She vividly recalls the difficulties she encountered, with language barriers hindering her parents' ability to assist her with schoolwork. This tutoring experience has provided an immense sense of fulfillment and joy for her as she is making a positive impact on the lives of these young children. 

ASPIRE students are receiving the equivalent of $240 worth of free tutoring per week, especially in higher-level classes where one-on-one sessions are held based on attendance. The dedication and commitment of Sewa tutors and volunteers ensures that students who would otherwise face significant financial barriers to access such educational support, receive the necessary assistance to thrive academically.

The program's commitment to equal opportunities for all is evident through initiatives like providing Chromebooks to students who lack access to laptops. By ensuring access to necessary resources, the program strives to create a level playing field for all students. These efforts contribute to the program's success in bridging educational gaps and empowering students to achieve academic success.

ASPIRE embodies a larger narrative surrounding equitable access to quality K-12 education in the United States. The persistent achievement gap among students — particularly across racial and socioeconomic lines — highlights the need for intervention. Moreover, a shortage of qualified teachers in subjects like math and science, especially in low-income communities, poses a challenge.

Many students face inadequate support at home and encounter language barriers that hinder their academic progress. These systemic challenges necessitate urgent programs like ASPIRE. Sewa wants to continue to build on the momentum of ASPIRE in five cities and expand it to other cities where SEWA operates.