Five weeks ago, nearly two dozen Newarkers took a chance and showed up for a free five-week English course in the East Ward.

Over the course of the five weeks, they met two to three times a week in the basement of Club España in the Ironbound, where they learned English skills but also built a small community of new friends.

The course, hosted by My Schools Newark, ended last week with a graduation that offered the students an opportunity to show off their newfound language skills to family, friends, and several elected officials who stopped by to witness the ceremony.

North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. and Councilman-At-Large Luis A. Quintana both offered praise to the students for their efforts to learn English.

“It’s never too late to learn,” Councilman Quintana told the student

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