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| Refugee Transitions Volunteer Newsletter |
February 2010
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Dear RT Volunteers,
As
many of you know, 2010 is the year of the US Census! In April, everyone
living in the U.S. will be asked to fill out a survey on their family
demographics. This helps our country better understand and provide
services to our population.
Filling out the census is of
particular importance for--and is often overlooked by-- refugee
families. By completing the census form, they are reporting themselves
as members of a growing U.S. community. This helps our growing newcomer
groups better access funding and services to support their transitions.
Help your students with their 2010 Census Form!
Stay tuned for more information from RT on how to help with the Census form. The form asks 10 questions, and should only take 10 minutes. You can preview the census form here.
And, as always, thanks for your commitment to helping refugee and immigrant families in the Bay Area.
With Gratitude,
Refugee Transitions
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JOBS WITH THE US CENSUSThe U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary,
part-time census
takers for the 2010 Census
These short-term jobs offer good pay,
flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized
work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census
work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.
Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work
part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants
to earn extra money while performing an important service for their
community.
Help your student apply today! Click here
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TELL YOUR STUDENT TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE CENSUS FORM IN THE MAIL!
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THE NEW VOLUNTEER LOG HAS BEEN UNVEILED!
After many months in the making, Refugee Transitions' new Volunteer Log is up and running! We are so excited to have this new and improved version, which we hope will revolutionize our ability to gather data and better serve our hard-working students and volunteers.
Logs provide a brief summary of the work you have accomplished with
your student(s) during each calendar month. They are now due on the last
day of every month. (Example: Logs for March 1, 2010 - March 31,
2010 are due on March 31, 2010.)
Once we match you in our database, you will receive an email providing you with your Student ID. You will need to use this, as well as your email address, to sign-in to the Volunteer Log. For volunteers who are working with more than one student, you will receive a separate notification email and Student ID for each student. Please fill out a Log for each student with whom you are working. If you tutor several students at the same time, please just break up the time when logging your hours (example: For a 2 hour session with Jane and John Liu, log 1 hour for Jane and 1 hour for John).
The Log should only take a few minutes to fill out, and has been streamlined to make the whole process easier. We read each and every one--so please take the time to fill out your Log every month! If you decide to stop tutoring, please notify us so we can re-match your student and remove you from our Log Reminder email list.
We look forward to seeing those Logs pouring in...
Happy Logging!
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Fun Activities for You and
Your Students
A large part of RT's tutoring program is making the learning REAL for your students, and helping the students use their English outside their homes to access the services they need to transition into their new lives, here. As your training materials emphasized, we encourage you to get out of the books and into the communities.
Here are some ideas of HOW:
Can
you take whatever lesson you are studying this week into the
neighborhood? For example, if you are studying directions and street
signs, try a directional scavenger hunt, or practice reading a map of
the student's neighborhood while walking down the very streets. - Use
signs, bumper stickers, newspapers, menus, lyrics to help your student
develop his/her reading skills. Have your student scan for letters or words
(i.e. with specific prefixes/suffixes).
- Have your students write movie reviews.
Take
your students to visit a local community college or university. We are
fortunate to have a fine higher education system in California (even
with all the budget cuts). It is a great idea to take students--whether
youth or adults--to see the educational resources that may (one day) be
available to them. Take your students to visit your
workplace! Former volunteer Paula Ciobanu once took her youth student
and her student's family to her office on a Sunday. Visit a
park. Many of our students say that they miss the nature in their home
countries. We have many parks and recreational facilities in the bay
area. Teach students to take advantage of these (especially teaching
them how to reach there by bus!) Use our free tickets! Keep
your eyes out--every couple of months we send out a slew of available
tickets over email to attend performances, visit museums and go to
exciting cultural centers--use this resource! Volunteer Langan
Courtney once took her students to see a movie--while it cost money,
Langan realized as the movie began that it was her student's first time
ever seeing a movie in a theater--and she'd been in the US for 5 years.
Look for free museum days and cultural events in the area--and share these events with RT if you find them so we can inform the rest of our volunteers!
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RT South Bay Updates!
Though RT South Bay is only a year and a half old, our program is growing tremendously--and our students are making remarkable gains! RT's youth students are improving their grades, while RT's adult students are making measurable learning gains on their post-tests, and are enrolling in adult school on their own!
Special Thanks to RT South Bay Volunteers who have committed over nine months of their time--and still counting: Janet Burdick Liv Ames Jean Ranck Aimee Nichols
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RT Students Profiled in the
East Bay Express!
"Still Seeking Refuge"
OAKLAND-- The
East Bay's new Burmese immigrants left their homes in Thai refugee
camps only to find themselves in an even tougher spot- inner-city
Oakland amidst a punishing recession that threatens the assistance they
depend upon...
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Free Tax Help
'Tis the Season! Help your students fill out the elusive U.S. tax forms by connecting them to some of the free tax help resources, below.
Oakland
Oakland Public Library
Tax Aid
San Francisco
Tax Aid
South Bay
Tax Aid
Catholic CharitiesCall for appointments (408) 325-5241
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NEWS
The New York Times
"Burmese Refugees Persecuted in Bangladesh"
BANGKOK - Stateless refugees from Myanmar are suffering beatings and deportation in Bangladesh,
according to aid workers and rights groups who say thousands are
crowding into a squalid camp where they face starvation and disease.
In a campaign that seems to have accelerated since October, the groups
say, ethnic Rohingya refugees who have been living for years in
Bangladesh are being seized, beaten and forced back to Myanmar, which
they had left to escape persecution and abuse and which does not want
them.
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Oakland Resource Highlight
The English Center
The mission of the
English Center is to realize the participation of international women
and men in the social, political and economic opportunities of the 21st
century world. Through English language, technology and career
readiness training, we will foster cross-cultural communication and
career advancement, enabling non-native speakers of English to achieve
their fullest potential.
Starting this semester, the English Center will be offering a "Welcome Back" program for immigrant adults who worked in the medical field in their home country.
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Driving Test Resources: DMV Driving Test Videos!
Helping your adult student pass their driving test can be a big service to the entire family.
The CA DMV has great study resources on its website, and how has a youtube channel for videos of driving tests and tips!
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JOBS Now in SF!
Upwardly Global has partnered with the City of San Francisco to offer a new program to help job seekers find jobs in their field quickly. Does your student qualify for this program?The criteria for the program are:
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Must be an SF Resident
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Must have US work authorization
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Must have a child under 18 living in the US.
Job seekers accepted into the program will have 100% of their wages paid by the City of San Francisco for the next year, which makes them very attractive to employers. Upwardly Global is seeing job seekers find a job in their field within a couple of weeks after starting the program.
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Karen Language Materials--Online!
CLICK HERE to access Karen dictionaries & phrasebooks!
Burmese Dictionary--Online!
If you work with Burmese speaking students, check out this great online resource with Burmese fonts, Burmese phrases, and an online dictionary!
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Please Complete the Oakland Unified School District's Online Survey
By filling out this survey, you will help the OUSD and RT collect valuable data on our programs and the clients we serve.
THANK YOU!
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Spring Institute's ABCs for Tutors
Click Here to View
This is an outstanding ESL Resource that makes learning accessible and relevant to our students. Please read!
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San Francisco Resource Highlight:
YWCA Open Computer Lab
The SF YWCA (940 Powell Street, San Francisco)
will be providing free Open Computer Lab Time from 9:30am to Noon Monday
through Friday starting February 1st!
Call (415) 434-0340 for more info!
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JOB OPENINGS FOR STUDENTS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY
The Marriott Hotel in Santa Clara is urgently looking
to fill the following positions: dining room attendant, housekeeper and dishwasher.
If your student is interested, please help them fill out the
application here.
In response to the application question, "How did
you hear this position opening," please include the following information:
Nant Nandi Kyaw Min
Santa Clara Marriott
General Account
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Make a Difference
Be a Refugee Foster Care Parent
Wanted: Warm-hearted, internationally-minded families to welcome a refugee youth into their homes. You can be single or married; from a large family or nave no children at all; and of any race, religion or ethnic background.
Shape a future. Help a refugee youth begin a life again.
Refugee foster youth are courageous, resilient, spirited and vulnerable. They are here ALONE - victims of persecution, war and human trafficking. They need our protection and a reason for hope.
Contact Coleen Higa at coleen@catholiccharitiesscc.org with questions.
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Mark Your Calendars:
WORLD
REFUGEE DAY
Celebrations
June 20th is international World Refugee Day. To honor the strength, resilience and accomplishments of refugees and to welcome them to the United States, this year's annual celebrations will be held in the following locations and on the following dates.
Friday, June 18th
San Jose
Evening Program and Performances
Friday, June 18th
Oakland
Afternoon picnic and presentation, San Antonio Park
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Useful Resources for Your Work as an RT Tutor-ONLINE!
RT Volunteer Erinn Struss has compiled a list of helpful online resources for RT tutors.
Links include:
- General ESL Resources, Worksheets & Games
- Lesson Ideas
- Podcasts/Multimedia
- News pages with Multimedia for ESL learners
- Websites with Student drills
- ESL Civics Resources
- Interview Guides
- Resource Guides
- Grammar Guides
Thank you, Erinn! |
Check out the
Guide for Immigrant Seniors
from the City of Fremont's Human Services Division
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San Francisco International High School is looking for classroom assistants.
Classroom assistants will support teachers in helping students with
the day's curriculum.
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Scholarship Opportunities for Refugees
 IRC San Francisco
Sarlo Fellowship
This financial aid program is designed to help refugees, asylees,
victims of human trafficking, and Iraqi & Afghan recipients of
Special Immigrant Visas meet the cost of academic achievement so that
they can complete their studies, achieve their academic goals and
contribute to the community at large. $1,000 to $5,000 scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement
and financial need.
Application Deadline:
Friday, May 7, 2010.
 Western Union Family Scholarship Program
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Know someone who wants to Volunteer? 
If you know someone who wants to volunteer with Refugee Transitions, we are always looking for more help in the East Bay, San Francisco and the South Bay! Send them this email, and direct them to our website at www.reftrans.org.
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Become Friends with RT on Facebook!
Join Refugee Transitions' online facebook community. Become our friend and get access to RT news, photos, YouTube videos, and more! |
To Read Past Newsletters: View Our Website
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Thank you, again, for all that you do to serve the immigrant and refugee populations of the Bay Area. You are the heart and soul of what we do!
Sincerely,
Lauren, Laura, Tenley, ZarNi, Grace, Elsa, Nandi, Julia, Nakachi and Jeff
(The Refugee Transitions Team) | |
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