Who We Are
Westminster Economic Development Initiative, also known as WEDI, strives to empower economically disadvantaged people through economic development, community development, and education.
What We Do
In our education department, we have three different after school programs for English Language Learners:
ENERGY for students in grades 1-6
This program is based out of the basement of Westminster Presbyterian Church. With a focus on literacy, this program strives to empower students through one-to-one mentoring to increase reading levels to attain parity with their native English speaking peers.
FLY for students in grades 6-8
This program is based out of West Buffalo Charter School. By utilizing project-based-learning to help students achieve academic success and improve their English proficiency, FLY supports students throughout middle school and prepares them for high school. Through partnerships with organizations such as Soccer for Success and Buffalo String Works, this program gives students hands-on learning and a more well-rounded education.
Launch for students in high school
This program is a pilot program based out of Lafayette High School. We will be starting with 15 Freshman ELLs, and will add an additional 15 Freshman each year. The purpose of this program will be to empower high school aged ELLs and help them navigate through the obstacles of high school while preparing them for life after their graduation, be it college, trade schools, or careers. Our goal is to have successful clients from WEDI to come in each month to speak to students about the obstacles they had to overcome and the steps they took to get them to where they are now, as well as generate possible interest in their field. An integral part of our program would be to pair students up with these community members and allow students to shadow them on the job, set up a mentorship, and potentially set up an internship a few years down the line. Another facet of our quickly expanding program, which is only just beginning to develop, is going to come into play during Saturday Academies at Lafayette International High School. Every Saturday Academy, we are going to hold a "Girls' Club" to meet with female refugee and immigrant students and discuss with them different issues that are relevant specifically to them. We want to empower these students by allowing them to control the direction of these conversations, with the sole requirement be that at some point we talk about periods, puberty, and other related topics that they don't feel comfortable discussing at home.
