Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC)

Madeline Troche-Rodriguez, Faculty Director

Marlene Castellanos, College Advisor

Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC)The TBLC is a two-semester, college credit program offered to students who, because of limited skills in English and limited financial resources, would otherwise not be attending college on a full-time basis.

Program Description         

The Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC) prepares English learners (EL) for college-level courses taught in English within two semesters. The TBLC program recruits from three sources:   

  1. Recent high school graduates, primarily from the Chicago Public Schools bilingual programs
  2. Students currently at Truman completing GED requirements or Adult Education ESL courses
  3. Community organizations and partners      

Goals of the TBLC Program        

  1. Create opportunities for students to learn the culture of higher education while supporting their academic English proficiency, bilingual abilities, and bicultural identities.
  2. Strengthen the potential for students to complete an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, or Associate in Applied Science degree.
  3. Support and facilitate transfer to a four-year college/university.       

History       

In response to the urgent need to assist immigrant Latinx students making the transition from high schools to college, a group of Truman College faculty launched the Transitional Bilingual Learning Community (TBLC) program In March of 2002. Over the years, the program has adjusted to the changing environment and added features to improve program success. Each Fall semester a cohort of TBLC students is formed and together they take TBLC General Education courses. The TBLC course offerings include Academic English as a Second Language (ESLINTG) 100 and English 101/97 that directly supports meeting one of the TBLC program goals.    

            

Scholarships       

Students that apply and are accepted into the TBLC Program are eligible for scholarships, such as The Elena Mulcahy and Helen Valdez Scholarship Fund, which are designed to help academically talented Latinx immigrant students realize their dream of a college education.    

The TBLC Scholarship which is a non-renewable scholarship to help support the cost of tuition or books at Truman College.

For a tax-deductible contribution, please scan the QR code below. Thank you for your generosity. Gracias por su generosidad. 

                                            

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Faculty and Staff

​Name and Title Phone​ Email​ Office​

Diego Baez, Assistant Professor, Multidisciplinary          

 (773) 907-4391 dbaez2@ccc.edu 3439 Main Building 
Ana King​, Professor, English, Communications, Theater, and Journalism (773) 907-4437​

aking@ccc.edu                          

 2230​ Main Building 
Madeline Troche-Rodriguez, Faculty Director & Associate Professor, Social & Behavioral Sciencees (sp)   (773) 907-4894​, (312) 324-4695 mtroche-rodriguez@ccc.edu    3219 Main Building​
       

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