More About the AOK Basic Skills Workshops
If you’re new here, please explore our two courses and outlines for free, practical workshops designed to support English learners, refugees, families, and adult students.
AOK’s first goal is to build basic competence, but its larger mission is to help create independent learners aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- Goal 4: Quality Education
What the AOK Website Offers:
AOK provides two complete self-study courses—
- How to Learn English on Your Own
- How to Buy & Prepare Healthy, Inexpensive Food
It also includes outlines and materials for:
- Six native-speaker workshops (Pre-K through Adult Education): (The six parallel programs for native speakers in Spanish include pages of URLs for each level. Many of these URLs are available in English and can be used here on the English side or for other languages.)
- Four ESL workshops (Grades K–12 and University level)
- The Universal Steamed Quick Bread Workshop
- Materials for each workshop include the basics of what I used in Ecuador six years ago: a description, objectives and examples of evaluation forms.
These materials form a flexible framework that universities, NGOs, and local organizations can adapt to their community’s needs with possible assistance from AI —and then share the results in terms of interest in related websites sponsored by the respective U.N. Sustainable Development Goals offices.
Why AOK Workshops Are Short
Most AOK workshops last just one or two hours.
When AOK began in Ecuador, we reached about 1,000 busy adults through single-session events. This brief format allowed participants to learn the essentials, receive free web resources, and continue exploring at home—often with help from their computer-literate children.
Featured Courses and Workshops
- How to Learn English – CEFR-based strategies for self-directed learning
- Helping Your Children Succeed in School at different levels – Practical tools for parents
- Adult Basic Education (ABE) Support – Literacy and “Market English” for community and work settings
- Healthy Foods for Busy People – Nutrition basics for families and refugees
- Universal Steamed Quick Bread Workshop – Simple, healthy bread for the food insecure
💡 Did you know?
A breakfast made up of homemade granola with nuts and beans provides about “13–18 grams of protein — enough to meet the daily needs of two- to five-year-olds!”
- And the cost is about that of a white roll!
Who the Workshops Are For:
- Teachers & Professors:
Learn creative ways to use the European Language Portfolio (ELP) in your classes. - Learners:
Apply European Language Portfolio (ELP) based methods and join/form teaching-learning clubs for independence. - Parents & Families:
Support your children’s education and learn healthy, one-dish meals and meal prep techniques. - Community Centers & NGOs:
Access adaptable outlines for short, skills-based and nutrition-focused workshops.
About AOK
- Founded in Quito, Ecuador; now based in Portland, Maine, USA
- A retirement project created and written by John B. Kirk, ESOL teacher
- Non-commercial and completely free
- Supports the UN SDGs 2 & 4
- When presented by public offices, participants may earn SDG badges
If You Might Use These Materials
If your organization finds AOK materials useful, please share the website with others and let us know how they worked through the Contact page.
Your feedback helps promote open, multilingual education worldwide.
Best of luck!
John B. Kirk, Director
AOK Basic Skills Project – Portland, Maine