{"82191":{"#nid":"82191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"University Volunteers Stimulate International Public School","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s 4:30 p.m. and the second grade classroom at the International Community School (ICS) in Avondale is bustling. At a time when many elementary schools have already sent students home, the public charter school is brimming with students and volunteers in its after-school program. Unique among Atlanta elementary schools, ICS brings together children of refugees and immigrants with American-born students to provide an internationally based education. And although it\u0027s publicly funded, the school relies heavily on the generosity of volunteers. In any given week approximately 50 volunteers from Georgia Tech, Emory and other Atlanta universities and schools help students finish homework, play educational games and burn off steam as part of ICS\u0027 after school program.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter finishing with their homework, many of the students turn to counting cards. The game is \u002221.\u0022 Volunteer Sheila Schulte points to her ace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0022I have one,\u0022 she said to second-grader Adia Reid , from Jamaica.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSchulte draws an eight.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0022So how many is that?\u0022 she asked.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0022Nine,\u0022 answered Reid.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGames like this help the students develop the ability to do mental arithmetic, said Schulte, whose day job is associate director for International Student and Scholar Services at Georgia Tech. She helped get the after-school program off the ground by bringing 14 international students and international affairs majors from Georgia Tech to supplement the school\u0027s staff on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Since then, the International Community School has attracted students and faculty from Emory University, Georgia State University and the Atlanta International School. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for our international students to see what the U.S. educational system is like outside of higher education,\u0022 said Schulte.  \u0022It\u0027s a great way for me to get to know our students better. It\u0027s very rewarding to get to know a group of students on a personal level and to watch their interaction with each other.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPrincipal and co-founder Bill Moon said the school has benefited from the work of more than 300 volunteers since its inception in August 2002. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Every piece of furniture you see in this room has been donated,\u0022 he said referring to his office. Before opening, volunteers carpeted the school and painted the walls. They donated fire alarms, security cameras and computers. Home Depot even donated $40,000 in new playground equipment, installation included. Volunteers help keep the school running, said Moon. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith 180 students this year and a 95 percent reenrollment rate, the school has had a successful start. Adding a grade each year, the school teaches children from kindergarten through third grade. At first glance it looks just like any other school, with alphabet posters and murals on the walls. But here and there lie touches that reveal the special history of many of the refugees. A mural drawn by the kids depicts scenes of war and killing alongside pictures of friendship with captions such as \u0022Children must not be used as cheap labor or soldiers. Children have the right to play. Children have the right to protection from cruelty, neglect and injustice.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech student volunteer Nitika Raj from Kuwait was one of the first volunteers in the program. \u0022It takes time for them to trust you,\u0022 she said. Many of them are wary of new people, possibly because of what some of them have been through. But no matter what they\u0027ve experienced in the past, once they\u0027re on the playground they all laugh the same, run the same and even tease each other. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E Back in the classroom, Georgia Tech student volunteer Mohamed Kone from the Ivory Coast, helps third-grader Hein Paing finish his math homework. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I don\u0027t feel right when I\u0027m not volunteering,\u0022 explained Kone. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPaing is one of the school\u0027s success stories. When he moved to Atlanta last year from Burma he spoke no English. Now in addition to studying English in school he gets to study other languages and cultures as part of the after-school program\u0027s Heritage Language Program. Led by the school\u0027s staff and supplemented by volunteers and parents, the program gives the students a chance to learn about a new culture and language every month. This year, they\u0027ve studied Arabic, Bosnian, Vietnamese, Kurdish and Jamaican-Creole.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s not only the kids that are learning, said Schulte. \u0022It helps our international students figure out American culture,\u0022 she said. Seeing up close how an American school works and watching the interaction between the American children and the immigrant children teaches them a lot about how Americans deal with intercultural differences. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat interaction is what the school is all about, said Moon. \u0022We cannot have a school just for refugee kids. It wouldn\u0027t work. Having the local communities\u0027 involvement is essential.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Tech student volunteers fuel public school for refugees and new immigrants.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2004-02-11 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:02","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2004-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2004-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"82201":{"id":"82201","type":"image","title":"Tech student Mihir Jagga tutors Shene Showan from","body":null,"created":"1449178087","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:28:07","changed":"1475894698","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:58"}},"media_ids":["82201"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.intcomschool.org\/","title":"International Community School"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}