Immigrants get leg up in ASD program

Immigrant kids in grades 7-12 get help with practical survival skills to help them function in their school life. DP

by Jennifer Zilko

KTUU.com: ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Students who move to America from abroad face serious challenges: a new country, a new school and a new language.

The Anchorage School District now has a program to smooth that transition.

The students in Jessica Sterns' class at the Newcomers' Center aren't typical American students. All of them came to the Anchorage School District knowing little or no English.

"We get kids of all levels, some who came from countries where they had no education at all, so we started with the alphabet other's who have substantial education from their home countries," Sterns said.

The center offers a half day program for students new to the U.S. who don't speak English well enough to function in a regular classroom. The classes focus on English skills including reading, writing and speaking.

Imtiaz Azzam, a counselor at the Newcomer's Center, said the program also teaches practical skills.
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