News from the School

                                                                                                                        

Dear Friends,

   Let’s Talk Language School is in its sixth year. For the first time we have decided to ask the
community for donations. This letter explains why. The school’s primary source of revenues (75%)
is tuition paid by our students. Over the past six years the school has benefited from several
unsolicited donations and a foundation grant that helped cover the gap between tuition payments
and total operating costs. During the past two years, I’ve taught English as a second language one
day a week to Somali, Sudanese and other immigrants who work at Maine Medical Center in
Portland. It’s been great fun as well as a good source of income for the school.

   Enrollment at Let’s Talk has been steady for two or three years; we have 88 students enrolled in
our weekly classes this semester. Currently, we offer Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin
and English as a second language (ESL). During 2009 Let’s Talk ran a one-week English
immersion program in Waterville for French Canadians from “la Beauce” and a three day French
immersion in St. Joseph, Québec.  We continue to host weekly Spanish and French conversation
hours that are open to all.

   Two things will change in 2010. First, the school wants to increase the hours of its paid
administrator. This will give Steve Buchsbaum more flexibility. He has worked at Let’s Talk as an
unpaid volunteer for six years (including two nights a week during each semester) and is feeling a
little tied down. There is a reason he is known as “el esclavo” here at the school! Second, I
anticipate that Maine Medical Center may cut back on its English program.

   So, between the need to increase the hours for our part-time administrator and the loss of some
ESL revenues, we are looking at a $5,000 - $10,000 gap. Not huge by the standard of other fund-
raising campaigns. That’s why you can really help. A $100 donation would make a real difference; a
$25 check will allow us to count you among our local donors. We are proud of the school and want
to see it continue to be a positive force in the re-development of downtown Waterville. It’s easy to
participate. You can visit our website at: www.letstalklanguageschool.org to donate online, or give
us a call and we’ll take your credit card, or mail us a check.

   There is another way your donation will help. Foundations look for local support in evaluating
grant requests. We intend to follow up this local fund-raising campaign by requesting a foundation
grant. Local donations will make our request much stronger.
Thanks for your support.

Gina Coppens
President