Literacy Network committed to refugee services, despite funding cut – Isthmus

For Robin Ryan, cutting literacy classes for refugees is not an option.

“We just have to find new funding,” says Ryan, the executive director of Literacy Network. “We’re not accepting that we will not be able to do what we’re doing.”

By the end of July, Literacy Network is set to lose $200,000 in federal funding for its refugee programming. The organization provides free services to refugees and immigrants in Dane County, including English language classes, tutoring, and career transition support. The cut is on top of the loss of a $90,000 grant last year for its citizenship preparation program.

“We’re down $290,000 a year as of the end of this month, so every year we have to raise an additional $290,000 to keep our funding the way it was at the beginning of 2025,” says Ryan. The cut amounts to roughly 12% of the organization’s $2.5 million budget.

A couple of years ago Isthmus reported that Literacy Network was experiencing increased demand for its services as more refugees were arriving in Madison. But immigration to Wisconsin peaked in March 2024 and has since plummeted amid federal policy changes that began in January 2025. Despite the rapid slowdown in new arrivals, staff at Literacy Network say there are still hundreds of refugees in Madison who rely on their services.

“ You don’t learn language in a year,” says Ryan.“There are multiple years of service needs ahead of us from people who are already here.”

“Some students stay with us for many years, just moving up through the programs,” adds Ena Langendijk, refugee service manager and language instructor. “We start from basic level — zero (or) hardly any English — to level four, or ‘transition classes,’ which helps prepare students for career and college.”

And overall demand for the group’s literacy services has remained high. Caitlin Mackesey, Literacy Network’s director of program impact, says the organization in 2025 served more than 1,700 total students — 180 of which were refugees. Midway through 2026, “we’re already at 1,100 (students),” Mackesey says.

Ryan says the leadership team is constantly assessing how they can better meet demand, including by adding another basic-level English class during peak enrollment in 2024. The group would still like to add more sections to classes with waitlists.

“ The federal funding reduction is going to hamper us from growing and adding any more of those classes,” Ryan says. She explains that the majority of the organization’s funding goes to staff who are experts in teaching language and understanding how the legal refugee process works — “We don’t want to lose any of the infrastructure,” she says.

After resettling in the United States, a process that took 10 years, Theo H. and Marie Louise T. began taking classes at Literacy Network in 2018. The couple, who asked that their last names not be used, say they encourage other immigrants in Madison to do the same.

“Especially those coming as refugees,” says Marie Louise, who is originally from Burundi, a country in East Africa. “When we meet, we encourage them to come here because they have to learn English — they will need it in the future.”

After five years in the country, when they were eligible for citizenship, staff at Literacy Network helped them through the entire process, including providing a lawyer at no cost to walk them through applications.

“See the way I’m talking? I speak English!” says Theo, who is originally from Rwanda. “I’m a citizen. It’s because of them I’m now a citizen.”

With a background in medicine, Theo had hoped to continue to work in the healthcare field, but his credentials from his home country didn’t immediately transfer to the states. Becoming proficient in English has opened new doors. Theo now works as a caretaker at Central Wisconsin Center, where he looks after individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Lanla Ceesay, a refugee from The Gambia, is a current student at Literacy Network. She says she wants to start working to support herself and her six children and hopes to eventually land work as a caregiver.

“In my country, I never go to school, so I started here — English here. The first time was very, very challenge for me. First time, I didn’t know anything. But now, I speak little bit. I understand a little bit more, so I like it. I want to speak more English.”

Ceesay is now in level three English classes and part of a leadership group at the agency where students help guide programming decisions. Although she used to take English classes online, Ceesay says she prefers to be in the classroom with other students.

“Students learn a lot from each other in class,” says Ryan. “Students have a lot of knowledge about the process for becoming a citizen or for getting a green card, so they can share that information with each other.”

“It’s a good thing just to bring together different, colorful people to socialize,” Theo adds. 

When Literacy Network lost its funding for the citizenship program last year, Ryan says the Madison community stepped up to replace the funds.

“We are very fortunate  to live in Dane County, where people care a whole lot about education and immigrants and refugees. People are willing to listen to our case for why to fund education and step in and provide grant funding.” But, Ryan adds, “It’s competitive. There’s certainly many other nonprofits with worthy missions who are asking the same people for funding, so it becomes tight for funders.”

As the organization looks to replace funding, staff say they hope community members understand that the program’s impact extends beyond the students it serves. For Mackesey, supporting those resettling in Madison also means supporting people eager to contribute to the city.

“The refugees and immigrants that I’ve worked with are some of the most hardworking, motivated people that I know, and they love being here, and they want to add their own wonderful skills and talents and gifts to the wonderful things that we have here in Madison.”

Langendijk echoes those thoughts: “There’s a real sense of gratitude coming from people who resettle here,” she says. “In spite of everything that’s going on, they still feel really strongly that they’ve been welcomed here, and they want to return some of what they’ve been given to be able to live here and be safe.” n