Immigrants and Refugees

 
 

I recently read the book The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher (she also wrote Reviving Ophelia). It's a great book that is relevant to the Midwest community and lifestyle and recent experiences with refugees. I live in Waterloo, and there is a very large diversity here, and many of us know about the Bosnian refugees that came to this area. Pipher's story is about her experiences helping refugees as a cultural broker and clinical psychologist. She helps the refugees become associated with their new area (Lincoln, Nebraska) by answering their questions, helping them find jobs, talk about their hardships, and advance into the future. One of her stories was about a husband and wife from Sierra Leone. They had been taking a computer class in Lincoln and after ten sessions were promised a computer if they completed the course. 

This website is the home page of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. It is an informational resource on refugees and statelessness. There are many refugees who come to America who were very successful in their home country but are now considered unintelligent because they cannot speak English. So I thought: Instead of giving the refugees four months to find jobs that will hire them because nobody else will work there, why don't we work harder to educate these new members of our society in technology and English through that technology. Some refugees have never seen a computer before. Learning how to use one will be essential for their true assimilation into our culture.

About a year ago, I interviewed a woman named Dominique Winders for an assignment. She works for a nonprofit organization in Minnesota that teaches a variety of refugees and immigrants English and technology skills. She informed me:

"Currently I teach a Communication and Computer class and I have been managing, implementing and teaching this program since 2004.  It is funded by a grant awarded by the Adult Basic Education program from the MN Dept of Ed.  It is an annual grant and must be re-applied for each year. (read - no job security).  I manage the program in its entirety, wrote and implement the curriculum, student recruitment, testing and reporting. 

The level of these students range from Low Intermediate to High Advanced and we focus on developing computer skills (I have a beautiful computer lab!) and the relevant communication skills, pronunciation, cultural orientation, etc., for newly arrived immigrants and refugees or those in transition.  It is heavily focused on employment readiness training - we learn to use email, search Internet for relevant educational and job opportunities, write resumes, cover letters and complete online applications in addition to basic Microsoft Office.  It is a very full curriculum - 8 weeks only each session and also includes interview skills, pronunciation, conversation, writing, etc."

Ms. Winders work has been very inspiring, and I would love to contribute to my community in some way when I finish my degree.

Image from ICLIPART for schools