The Vision Behind Hyper Local Edu - Building Language & Belonging

In the journey of learning a new language, vocabulary and grammar are just the beginning. For immigrants arriving in the United States, especially in small towns or unfamiliar neighborhoods, it’s equally important to understand the community around them. Hyper Local Edu was created to bridge this gap— to offer a way for immigrants to learn English and learn about their surroundings at the same time.

Hyper Local Edu is a student-led initiative that uses a website to generate customized English worksheets based on ZIP codes. These worksheets aren’t generic, however, they’re filled with references to the parks, stores, landmarks, and public buildings that exist in a person’s immediate area. By blending language learning with local familiarity, the project ensures that students not only build vocabulary and grammar skills, but also gain confidence in navigating their daily lives.

The project was founded by Rhea Narayanan, a rising senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY. Since her freshman year, Rhea has been an active volunteer at Neighbors Link, working closely with immigrant families and students on academic and language support. That experience sparked the realization that many ESL materials fall short in the sense that they often overlook the importance of place and context in a learner’s life. Rhea saw an opportunity to rethink what language learning could look like by designing materials that were rooted in community.

What began as a personal passion has grown into a fully developed platform. The site currently supports over ten neighborhoods in Westchester County, along with a few others outside the area, serving, in total, over 5,000 immigrant families. Any new location can be added by simply entering a ZIP code, making the platform flexible and scalable as it continues to expand. Through ongoing partnerships with local libraries, nonprofits, and literacy organizations (click here for a list of partnerships), the materials are already reaching real learners in real communities and making a tangible difference.

For Rhea, Hyper Local Edu is more than just a project. It reflects a deep belief in the power of education, language, and belonging. As the site grows, she hopes to keep expanding its reach to more cities and neighborhoods across the country. At its core, Hyper Local Edu is about helping immigrants feel seen and supported.