The 10-year-old daughter of Congolese refugees never learned English at the Ugandan refugee camp where she was born
She learned her subjects in a classroom with 200 other students. When relocating to the United States, she attended a newcomer school in Arizona. These schools are geared for newcomers needing help with basic English. One such school, Valencia Newcomer School, has more than 200 students from around the world.
Since the 2018-2019 school year, Valencia has accepted students from Cuba, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Myanmar, and Indonesia for a year of learning before transferring to a public school. Last year, the Arizona Department of Economic Security distributed over $600,000 to help the 1,026 refugee students with tutoring, interpretation, and school supplies.
K-8th grade children have immigrated from 21 different countries and they speak 15 languages. These schools are located where local education officials created them. There are similar places of education in Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. A Washington-based English learning specialist said, “As long as you have kids struggling with English, there will always be a place for these kinds of programs.” She mentioned that some mainstream public schools have special newcomer classrooms.
Your children can thrive when immigrating to the United States. USAFIS will help you apply for the Green Card Lottery, so you and your family can relocate to the U.S. and begin a new, prosperous life.