While teaching an adult GED class, Lisa Chiulli Lay came to learn that many of her students already had high school diplomas. These students were primarily healthcare workers who had immigrated to the United States and were hoping to improve their literacy skills in order to attend nursing school, but the only program available to them to aid in the development of their English language abilities were GED classes.
Across her professional and personal life, Lisa met countless women just like those in her class. Lisa reflected on “older women who were working so hard to build better futures for themselves and their families, but against incredible odds. They were taking care of their families; they were working many hours at their own jobs; they had very little financial security or resources to draw on…. yet they were still trying to take advantage of any educational opportunity they could and holding onto the ambition of a future nursing career.”
Funding constraints cause the adult education space to often be very one-size-fits all; leaving students without access to high quality, flexible, and tailored resources and programs that will allow them to meet their own career goals. This is particularly the case for immigrants from other countries, many of whom possess the educational background, but lack proficiency in English. With her background in education, public policy, and nonprofit program design, she was inspired to found Lamplight Women’s Literacy Center in 2022 to meet the needs of her neighbors. Based in Arlington, MA, Lamplight provides adult educational programs that serve low-income workers and jobseekers based directly on needs assessments of community members.
Their ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes run four nights a week at three different levels of English Instruction. This program began at a local state public housing development in Arlington and was requested specifically by the residents. As the organization has grown, the classes have opened to income eligible participants across neighboring towns, in addition to residents of the development.
Lamplight also runs their Healthcare Career Pathways program which supports Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in their preparations for nursing school. The program provides four courses to prepare students for the nursing school admissions exam and offers support in English, Math, and navigating the college admissions process. Both programs also provide wrap-around support services including resume writing, job search skills, interview practice, and resource connections.
In 2025, Lamplight served around 80 local students, many of whom participated in multiple courses throughout the year. Over three-fourths of participants were women, with one hundred percent of students coming from low-income houses. Lisa was proud to report that in last year’s ESOL classes, every single student who reached forty hours of learning achieved at least one literacy grade level gain. For her healthcare students, almost eighty percent met course learning objectives in a course Lisa described as challenging.
Lisa is supported by three other part-time instructors, each masters-educated with over a decade of experience in adult education. “One of the hallmarks of our program and the results that we get is that quality is paramount to me in everything that we provide. If you don’t have superb teachers, you don’t get the results,” Lisa shared.
However, it is not just the personalized and intelligent program design or the highly experienced instructors that make Lamplight so impactful for its students, but it is their relational and empathetic approach with each student that allows them to truly make a difference. “[We see] each student as a unique learner and get to know people at an individual level so we can be responsive to helping them with miscellaneous needs and challenges that would otherwise derail their learning,” Lisa expressed. Whether it’s something as simple as providing boots and a jacket to a student without proper winter clothing or helping a student struggling with severe pain get a well-fitted back brace to ease their discomfort, the Lamplight team prioritizes seeing their students as more than just another assignment to grade.
Lisa reflected, “Our students know that if they don’t show up for class, somebody’s going to write to them and say, ‘hey, is everything okay?’ Being known is meaningful, especially in our Healthcare Pathways program. The goal of nursing school is pretty far off. And so, to have somebody continue to say, ‘you’re smart, you can do this. There are many steps. But look, first step done. Now on to number two.’ is so impactful.”
Lamplight Women’s Literacy Center is currently working on a new partnership with the nonprofit Housing Corporation of Arlington. Through this collaboration, Lamplight will bring their programming to residents of 250 units of affordable housing, including 43 new units opening next fall. The team is hard at work planning their upcoming needs assessment for their new participants, working to guarantee that their classes will meet the needs of all residents, and that students will continue to feel as if Lamplight’s classes are tailored to their own learning goals.
As Lamplight continues to grow, Lisa remains grateful for the support of The Lenny Zakim Fund, as well as the resources and capacity-building trainings and opportunities she can access as an LZF grantee partner. “LZF contributed very early on in the infancy of our organization. I cannot over emphasize how that encouragement translates into even more determination and permission for us to envision a little bit more boldly. It’s one thing to have an idea personally and you know it can work, and you believe it is necessary, but it’s another thing if someone else says, you’re not crazy, that’s a great idea, go for it,” she asserted.
Her students, and “their belief in their own dreams, and their dogged pursuit of those dreams” despite the pressures they face each day continue to inspire Lisa, who is now four years into running the organization. The drive, passion, and care that Lisa and the rest of her team put into that work is clear not just in the impressive educational impact they make, but in the relationships they have formed and the community of learning, love, and light they have built.
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Current needs at Lamplight Women’s Literacy Center include support with their upcoming needs assessment for their expanded programing and funding/donations. To learn more about their work, visit their website here.
