Language Learning Startup Taps Immigration Experts to Help New Americans Build Critical English Language Skills

New York, March 13, 2019 — Voxy, developer of popular language learning software used by millions of learners and hundreds of institutions in over 150 different countries, today announced the appointment of IEL chief, Johan Uvin, to its board of directors. Tadd Wamester, who recently served as Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships at Upwardly Global, has also joined Voxy to lead a social impact initiative for the startup, focused on helping new Americans develop critical English language skills.

Working-age adults with limited English proficiency, most of whom are immigrants, earn 25 to 40 percent less than their English proficient counterparts. But the current adult education system meets less than 4 percent of the national need for English language instruction. Recent research suggests that personalized English instruction can address critical language skill gaps to spur economic mobility for this large – and growing – population of new Americans.

“English language acquisition presents both a profound barrier – and opportunity – for new Americans. But our language training infrastructure is both outdated and insufficient to address the challenge,” said Johan Uvin, President of the Institute for Educational Leadership. “Voxy is uniquely positioned to translate the potential of emerging technologies into social impact through responsible collaboration with community based organizations.”

Rooted in advanced learning science, Voxy’s unique, adaptive learning platform is already used by a growing number of NGOs, community colleges, labor unions, and other nonprofits, including adult learning nonprofit ProLiteracy, to reach immigrant communities with limited access to supports for learning to read, speak, and write English.

“English proficiency is critical to making good on the promise of economic opportunity, employment, and full participation in civic life for new Americans,” said Tadd Wamester who will serve as the Director of Voxy’s New Americans Initiative. “Voxy has already demonstrated the potential and impact of its transformative technology in the developing world. This is about translating that experience to support, and amplify, the impact of its groundbreaking technology through new partnerships and applications here in the U.S.”