About Us
Since 2017, EAN has provided to newcomers its English learning programme. Our mission is to increase your prospects in the Dutch higher education system and the job market.
History
Winter 2016
Noticing a curious absence
When Phillip Wozny, the founder of EAN, volunteered with Welkom in Utrecht at the Joseph Haydnlaan Asylum Seekers Center, he noticed a curious absence of English language education and started reaching out to for help to meet the large demand.
Winter 2017
A small initiative opened its doors
Through the InclUUsion program, led by Elena Valbusa, Utrecht University provided much of the initial infrastructure to get EAN off the ground. A dedicated group of volunteers quickly gathered around and EAN opened its doors as a small initiative in February 2017.
Fall 2018
The EAN foundation was born
Soon after Kinan Alajak joined as a volunteer teacher, he assumed the lead role and reshaped the administrative structure, significantly growing the organization. In September 2018, EAN was officially incorporated as a foundation by Phillip and Kinan.
January 2021
EAN arrives at the north of the Netherlands
Thanks to the expertise from EAN Utrecht, the financial support of the University of Groningen and fruitful collaboration with COA North, Seyit Gök and Marije Michel opened in January 2021 EAN Groningen.
Our students
About 180 course seats are offered annually to highly educated newcomers who arrived in the Netherlands through the asylum route and who are now seeking to improve their English proficiency for academic or professional purposes.
Over the years, we've had the privilege of teaching incredibly diverse groups of students, who were judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers, university teachers, artists, in their home countries, among various other disciplinary backgrounds. Many of our students credit EAN with refining their language skills, creating a social network, and introducing them to the city and its university.
Are you interested in becoming a student at EAN? You can find all the relevant information by going to our webpage Learn English.
Our teaching staff
EAN’s teaching staff are volunteers and form the backbone of the foundation. Without their selfless contributions, we couldn’t open our doors to the countless newcomers who apply to learn English at EAN every year.
The team consists of a small group of international professionals who enjoy teaching and feel a social responsibility to give back to newcomers in the Netherlands. Most of them have pursued higher education in foreign languages and have firsthand experience with migration. Joining our team means you will have the opportunity to grow in a highly diverse and inclusive environment (both within the team and in the classroom) and improve your didactic and class management skills. Moreover, you can become part of our community and gain a relevant and fun network.
If you are interested in joining our team or have any questions, you can always send an email to info@englishacademyfornewcomers.nl. We would love to hear from you!
Organization
The English Academy for Newcomers (EAN) is a registered foundation at the Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands and designated as a public benefit organization (ANBI) by the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration.
The governance of EAN falls under the responsibility of its Board of Directors. The board members and our personnel offer their professional services voluntarily, without remuneration.
How are we funded?
Our primary source of income is from offering affordable courses to newcomers. Sometimes, EAN is also supported by academic and social impact grants. All income generated through activities is used to support our ongoing programmes.