How to help refugees: Volunteer at a Local School

For many refugees coming to the United States, the language barrier can be very discouraging. Refugee children placed in the school system without any English skills often struggle with the motivation and ability to do well in school. One elementary school implemented an incentive program to reward students with yellow tickets for good behavior and academic achievement. This program has really broken through language barriers to reward children for their efforts and encourage them to keep trying to learn English. The tickets are used to purchase food, toys and other fun items from an incentive store once a month. All of the prizes for the store are donated by local volunteers who want to give back to the community. These volunteers also come in to man the store and interact with the children every month.

This program has had particular impact on one young student named Uwezo, who is a refugee from Africa. His teacher Mrs. Jensen also came to this country as a refugee and appreciates how the incentive program helps students reach their goals.

Wondering how you can help refugees in your community? Visit IWasAStranger.lds.org for ideas on how to get started.

How have you been able to interact with and help refugees in your community? Send us your story at [email protected]. Use the subject line “MC Share.”
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