what we do

Adult Education

Registration for Spring 2025 Semester will be held January 13- 15

For classes at 1400 Perry Street:
10 AM-12 PM and 6-8 PM Monday-Thursday
For classes at 4400 Beulah Road:
6-8 PM on Tuesday and Thursday ONLY

Whether you are looking to improve your level of English, earn a GED diploma, study to become a US Citizen, learn how to be a leader in your community, it starts with investing in yourself. The Sacred Heart Center is here to help you in your journey!

Our next registration cycle for the SPRING 2025 semester will take place from January 13 to 15, 2025, in person, on the main Campus of the Sacred Heart Center located at 1400 Perry St. Richmond, VA 23224, in the morning from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and in the afternoon from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

The SPRING 2025 semester will begin on February 3 and end on May 1, depending on the Educational program assigned; we offer the following programs: (The student is required to be present at registration with identification).

Our Programs:

Listed are all of our programs that we offer; however, program availability is subject to change depending on financial resources and human resources available, which may result in the pausing of programs. Please contact us for the most up to date offerings.

ESL | English as a Second Language

Program Costs: $20 Registration Fee / $50 book fee – per semester
Language of Instruction: English

We offer five different levels of English starting with our Basic course for limited English speaking students, to our Level 4 course, our most advanced level for students that are already proficient in English but want to improve their reading, writing and conversation.

Our Fall and Spring semesters last 12 weeks. We offer classes in-person and online on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings and evenings.

For Spring 2025 at 1400 Perry Street in the city of Richmond, we will be offering levels Basic, 1, and 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. In the evenings between 6 and 8 p.m. levels Basic, 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be offered.

For Spring 2025 at 4400 Beulah Road in Chesterfield, we will be offering levels Basic and 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6 and 8 p.m.

For Spring 2025 we will be offering Online ESL Level Basic  Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings between 10am and 12:00 noon. 

For Summer Semester classes please call Sacred Heart Center at 804-230-4399.

GED | General Education Diploma

Program Costs: $60 Registration Fee / $20 book – per semester

Length of Program: 1.5 – 2 years to complete all content areas

Language of Instruction: Spanish

Completing the GED program is equivalent to a high school diploma in the United States. Our program is unique for our Latino families because it is a tutoring program taught in Spanish by native Spanish-speaking teachers. Our teachers are native Spanish speakers and have teaching experience either in the United States and abroad. Students are able to study all four content areas such as Math, Language Arts, Social Studies and Natural Sciences in Spanish. 

Our semesters last 12-15 weeks. We offer classes in person in the mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am-12:30pm and in the evenings from 6pm-9pm. Students may only take one content area subject per semester. Students are not encouraged to take another class from another program due to the time and work commitment necessary to prepare for the content area exams. Students are required to attend classes, participate in class discussions actively, do homework daily and maintain good grades to have active student standing. This is a demanding course, but we offer our students support along the way.

On the spring semester we will be offering Social Sciences classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00pm to 9:00pm..

On Mondays and Wednesdays we will be offering Social Studies, in the morning,  from 9:30am to 12:30pm and  Mathematics levels 1 and 2, in the afternoon,  from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

This program is in person only and it is offered at our Richmond site – 1400 Perry Street.

Note: The student is required to take a diagnostic test to assess their knowledge.

Citizenship

Preparation for the Naturalization Interview
Program Costs: $40 Registration Fee – per semester

Language of Instruction: English

In the Citizenship class, students learn about United States history, civics and government with the intention of preparing for the naturalization interview.  Students in this course have permanent resident status and have already submitted their N-400 application to become a naturalized citizen, or will be submitting this paperwork soon. Because this course is taught in English, it is required to pass our diagnostic exam with an intermediate level of English before registering for this course. Students that do not yet have an adequate level of English are encouraged to start taking ESL classes as the first step before applying for Citizenship. 

Our Fall and Spring semesters last 12 weeks and are offered in person on Mondays from 6-8pm. This program is offered at our Richmond site – 1400 Perry Street.

Spanish Language

Program Cost: $400 Registration Fee – per semester

Language of Instruction: Spanish

This course is designed for students with basic knowledge of the Spanish language, offering personalized instruction and conversation practice.

The “Spanish Conversation Program” at the Sacred Heart Center is a natural choice if you’re interested in traveling, making new friends, and expanding your cultural horizons in the Hispanic culture while learning the language with a native teacher.

Taking classes with us will allow you to develop communication and interpersonal skills, learn to successfully adjust and adapt to changes in a multicultural and global world, and explore the culture, civilization, traditions, and behaviors of people across the Spanish-speaking world.

This semester, we will offer an “Intermediate-Level Spanish Conversation Program”, which will take students beyond the classroom on an exciting journey through the diverse Spanish-speaking world. The perfect combination of culture, instruction, and interaction will enable students to succeed

Our Fall and Spring semesters last 12 weeks and are offered in person on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8pm. This program is offered at our Richmond site – 1400 Perry Street.

Plaza Comunitaria | Literacy in Spanish

Program Cost: FREE – per semester

  • Registration is completely free.
  • Each student will be provided with the necessary materials, from pencils to books.
  • Classes will only be offered in an in-person format.

Language of Instruction: Spanish

The program focuses on literacy in Spanish for adult students that have not had the opportunity to either go to school or have not finished their primary or secondary education in their country of origin. This program was developed in Mexico with the intention of reaching out to as many students as possible where learning how to read and write in Spanish was not a possibility due to many factors. In the United States, there are more than 3,000 different Plaza Comunitaria programs. All students from any Spanish-speaking country can enter this program and work towards achieving their literacy goals.

Each student will have the support of a volunteer teacher, offering personalized tutoring. The schedules will be determined according to the availability of both parties, typically consisting of a two-hour class each week during the Fall 2024 semester.

The level of each student is determined through a diagnostic test. Each student will receive support, whether starting from literacy or completing primary and secondary levels, based on the Mexican educational system. The institution responsible for this program is INEA (National Institute for Adult Education), and this institution issues completion certificates for each academic level.

Latino Leadership Institute

Registration in Fall semester only
Program Cost: $200 total / $50 registration fee

Program Length: 9 months

Language of Instruction: Spanish

The Latino Leadership Institute offered at Sacred Heart Center is one of our six Adult Education Programs. This program consists of many components to build leaders within the Latinx community of the Richmond area and focuses on the history of Latinos in the United States, policies that have affected Latinos historically and currently in the U.S., advocacy around issues that directly affect the Latinx community, and service learning activities.

The LLI program is a 9-month commitment for all students. Students that wish to register can only do so in the Fall semester. The program starts in September and ends in June. All students that complete the required hours for the program receive 3 credit hours of Continuing Education from the University of Richmond. The total cost for the program is $200, however a $50 registration fee is required to enroll in the program. Not currently enrolling.

Register for Programs & Classes at one of our locations!