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Literacy for Refugees
Description: The mission of the group is to provide general learning assistance to teenage refugees studying at Proctor High School in Utica, New York. Often, refugees from all over the world emigrate to America in hope of achieving the “American Dream.” The sad reality of this situation is that underprivileged refugees rank at the bottom of the socio-economic spectrum and are marginalized by the institutions of society.
In the educational environment, refugees are put into age appropriate classes without knowing any English. Literacy Advocacy for Refugees aims to alleviate this inequity by tutoring refugees in English, for three hours a week, on a designated afternoon. The commitment is small, but the effect is big.
Utica is the second-largest dropping point for refugees,who come from all over the world, from the Sudan to Bosnia to Burma. Oftenthese individuals come with little or no English background in addition to their lofty economic and assimilation problems. In the past Literacy for Refugees has worked with adults as well as children; however, they primarily focus on working with young adults as their education is essential to their success.
Community: Utica's Proctor High School allows group members to interact with refugees from all over the world. Volunteers Say: "The response and eagerness of the students we work with makes everything worthwhile. Often coming from war torn and impoverished countries, these kids are full of spirit and really try their hardest to learn and understand. It is also really interesting to learn about different cultural customs and norms. Additionally we often find that we learn about our own culture and gain insight into how others learn and processes things by having to explain concepts or phrases without language."