- (972) 644-5119
- literacy@ralc.org
About us
welcome to
Our Program
With more than 19,000 adults in our community who don’t speak English well or at all, our work focuses on training volunteer ESL teachers, recruiting adult students and placing students into appropriate classroom instruction. Students attend classes taught by trained volunteer ESL teachers at various locations in the Richardson/RISD area.
About RALC
Thousands of adults in our community don't speak English well or at all. The Richardson Adult Literacy Center provides English as a Second Language instruction to help these adults improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Our history
Years of Journey
History
RALC was founded in 1990 through a collaboration between several community organizations. Members of these organizations saw that Richardson’s demographics were changing and that there were gaps within adult ESL services. The organization has succeeded for almost 30 years because of its dedicated volunteers and loyal community support.
team members
RALC Staff
our team
Sonali Patnaik – Executive Director
Sonali is an attorney and an active community member who first joined the RALC family as a volunteer teacher. After a 15 year career in Immigration law, she well understands the mutual benefit that language facility brings to newcomers and their communities. As a first generation American raised in Richardson, teaching with RALC felt like the perfect way to pay it forward. Sonali brings experience in firm management, non-profit fundraising, and is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law. She has been an adult language learner herself, and speaks Spanish, Gujarati and English. Most importantly, she is eager to support RALC students and Richardson’s standing as a welcoming and inclusive city. Sonali lives in Richardson with her husband, two boys, and their new rescue puppy.
Contact Sonali at director@ralc.org
Carson Childress – Program Coordinator
Carson coordinates RALC’s English as a Second Language programs, including curriculum development, teacher training, student assessment, and teacher support. Her passion is creating engaging, active learning environments where adults can learn. Carson came to RALC after many years as an English Teacher. She lives in Dallas with her beloved rescue dog, Annie.
Contact Carson at programs@ralc.org.
Andrea Hamblin – Volunteer Coordinator
Andrea Hamblin coordinates RALC’s volunteers, from recruitment to training to
placement to ongoing support. In 2017, she moved to Richardson and joined RALC as a volunteer teacher. As someone who grew up overseas and spent time learning languages, Andrea understands the struggle and is passionate about helping others overcome cultural and language hurdles. She looks forward to ensuring RALC volunteers can do the same while enjoying their work and feeling supported in their efforts. Andrea lives in Richardson with her husband and their rescue dog Flokati.
Contact Andrea at volunteer@ralc.org.
Franny Banks – Student Coordinator
Franny Banks coordinates RALC’s student outreach efforts, from letting students know about upcoming registrations, supplemental classes and other events to assisting them when they have challenges with classes. Originally from Colombia, Franny understands what it’s like to be an English language learner and works to ensure RALC’s students feel supported in their learning. Franny lives in Plano with her husband.
Contact Franny at students@ralc.org.
Board of Directors
- Cheryl Ann Wong
- Ron Poff
- Robert Grinsfelder
- Lauren DeCillis
- George Betz
- Rane Burress – President
- Daniel Burdette – Vice President
- Sherry Daswani – Secretary
- Ron Poff – Treasurer
Jared Earles – Finance Chair
- Bruce Henderson
- Lori Smeby
- Carolyn Potter
- Jennifer Davidson
- Ginger Greenberg
Get in touch
Mailing address
P.O. Box 835936
Richardson, TX 75083
Contact Us
Phone : (972) 644-5119
Email : literacy@ralc.org
Our Hours
Monday – Thursday
10am – 1pm
(September – May)
10am – 1pm
(September – May)
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