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Join us for an African Diaspora Dialogue with South Africa’s Consul General and meet the "African Young Leaders" delegation at International House - Thursday, June 21st from 6:30 PM to 8 PM.
The South African Consulate in New York, the Charlotte Africa Initiative, and International House of Charlotte have the great honor of hosting the African Diaspora Dialogue on Thursday, June 21. This dialogue will focus on the African Diaspora’s role in the New Africa and how the Diaspora in Charlotte fits in.
 The context for this dialogue will be highlights and outcomes from the first Global African Diaspora Summit that was held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa by the African Union. We have the privilege of having George Monyemangene, South Africa’s Consul General in New York, as the speaker for the evening. South Africans have a separate opportunity to dialogue with Consul General Monyemangene at 6:00pm. MORE INFO >>
 Also joining us for the evening is a group of "African Young Leaders" from Northeast Africa, Niger, Botswana, Swaziland, and the Republic of Congo. Guests will have an opportunity to meet these visitors and learn more about their culture, customs, and entertainment. Attendees will also enjoy regional music and light refreshments. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity for international learning and dialogue!
Location: International House, 322 Hawthorne Lane, Clt, NC
Date:Thursday, June 21, 2012, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Please RSVP - Contact Hendrik van Vuuren at 704-333-8099 ext. 12 or email hvanvuuren@ihclt.org
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The Youth English Tutoring Program (YETP) for 2012 is almost upon us! Now in its third year, YETP is designed to keep immigrant children from falling behind their peers during the summer months when they spend most of their time at home with non-English speaking parents. This year, we have expanded our program to two school sites. Last year, students at Albemarle Road Elementary enjoyed a fun and informative summer with our dedicated group of ESL tutors. This year, Albemarle Road students will be joined by about 75 more children from Merry Oaks International Academy who will be exposed to this invigorating educational opportunity for the first time. Both are Title I schools that serve a large percentage of ESL children who would otherwise have no English literacy practice during the summer.
From June 18th – July 26th, YETP will stimulate over 100 students during the summer holidays. Our 17 trained tutors, hailing from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, will use ESL textbooks to create dynamic lesson plans that incorporate games, videos, sports and arts and crafts. Thanks to the generosity of our funders, Wells Fargo and the Belk Foundation, it is free for participants and includes meals and snacks.
Click here to read the entire article >>
Children’s books and lower-level chapter books are preferred.
Books will be collected at International House until July 22nd.All books will be donated to students at Albemarle Road Elementary School and Merry Oaks International Academy.
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Wanted: Teen Cultural Ambassadors
Do you like to travel and learn about different cultures?
Are you a high school teen or the parent of a high school teen?
This is your chance to discover the world and experience new cultures without a passport or leaving home. International House of Charlotte is currently seeking families to host a high school teen for the following programs:
Mexican Youth Ambassadors, July 20th- August 4th 2012
High School student leaders from Eurasia for the 2012 – 2013 academic school year (FLEX program)
Sharing your home and your culture is a life changing experience. Become a Teen Cultural Ambassador and make new friends from around the world. For more info on any of the above opportunities, contact Lara Printz, work: (704) 342-2248, cell: (205) 332-9695, or lprintz@ihclt.org.
Snapshot of host responsibilities >>
Needed: Volunteer Drivers for Young African Leaders.
If you have 4 wheels and some spare time, International House is looking for volunteer drivers to assist with transporting our visiting Young African Leaders to and from their hotel and various events during their stay in Charlotte June 16th to 28th. For more information please contact Johnelle Causwell, work: (704) 342-2248, cell: (561) 543-0740, or jcauswell@ihclt.org.
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CHECK OUT THESE POWERFUL VIDEOS IN HONOR OF WORLD REFUGEE DAY
The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. International House assists hundreds of refugees every year with services provided by our legal clinic and educational programs.
This past spring, International House hosted a three-part "Storyology" workshop, teaching six local immigrants, including two refugees, the art of moviemaking. Each of these individuals produced a digital life story of his or her own journey to the USA. The workshops were coordinated by International House and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and made possible by a grant from the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte. A screening of the videos debuted in March and gave long term Charlotte residents an understanding of the struggles and triumphs of some of their newest neighbors. The project also empowered immigrant and refugee storytellers with video skills and pride in their achievements.
Two of these short films are now featured on the International House website. CLICK HERE to watch the videos. These amazing videos are powerful autobiographical accounts of the lives of two refugees whose stories include dramatic escapes through the desert, capsized boats, the loss of family members, and long periods of time in refugee camps before coming to the United States. They are told in the own words of the video creators and offer a glimpse of the unbelievable hardships endured by many refugees who must flee their homelands. Take a few minutes to see these amazing films. You may be moved to tears, but you will also be inspired by the resilience and courage of those who sacrificed so much to get to a safe haven in Charlotte.
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2012 "World of Play" a Great Success!
International House would like to thank everyone who participated in our "Children's World of Play" on May 12th. The day was once again filled with fun games, stories and music, and good times for young and old. A special thanks goes out to Coca-Cola, PNC Bank and Carolina Language Academy for sponsoring the event.
CLICK HERE to view pictures of the event.
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From the Executive Director |
Sometimes going to work is just plain fun! Last summer I couldn't wait for the chance to drop by Albemarle Road Elementary school and check on the progress of scores of eager young students who were enjoying personalized attention from trained International House English tutors.
Laughter filled the hallways. Children were deeply engaged in vocabulary games, art, and music. And a diverse group of college-aged tutors reflected the wonderful ethnic mix of their young pupils.
Immigrant children often lose language proficiency while spending the summer months in a non-English-speaking household. As a result, they start each new school year at a disadvantage, having fallen behind their classmates. Enrollment of language-minority students in the CMS school system is at an all-time high of 27,675 individuals. CMS students come from 159 countries and speak 162 languages.
Click here to read the entire article >>
International House first launched our summer Youth English Tutorial Program (YETP) in 2010, and expanded the program in 2011.
We started small. The 2010 pilot program offered one three-week session with one-and-a-half hours of instruction per day and assisted about 30 children. In 2011, International House partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) to better identify students most in need of English tutoring. The 2011 program was expanded to serve 89 children and included two three-week sessions, with children receiving three hours of instruction each day. Our student-to-teacher ratio was 3:1, allowing individualized attention to each child’s needs. This summer, we will provide a six-week session at two different school sites with three hours of daily instruction and anticipate over 100 students.
CMS does not currently offer ESL summer programs for elementary school children and welcomed our efforts. CMS staff have helped International House focus on Title I schools with the largest immigrant populations. Target schools are identified with the help of CMS consultants and by working closely with the Limited English Proficient (LEP) Committees within the schools.
Children had fun at International House’s summer YETP program. But more importantly, did they improve in English fluency? The answer is a resounding “Yes”! Pre- and post-assessment tests given on the first and last days of the program showed all students increasing in reading and writing ease as well as comprehension, understanding and word capacity. The average improvement was 11 percent overall. When we compared overall improvement by grade, we found the biggest improvement (24.5 percent) among the youngest students: kindergarten through second grade. Parent surveys indicated that 100% would enroll their children in the program again and that everyone was happy with the execution and results.
We are excited about this significant impact on immigrant children and their families. Learning to speak, read, and write in English is critical to student success, and the Youth English Tutoring Program is a great way to help children from refugee and immigrant families become more comfortable and better integrated in their new communities.
Denise Cumbee Long
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International Book Club |
The next meeting of the International House Book Club will be on Monday, June 18, 2012 at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome!
The book to be discussed will be Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (238 pages) NORWAY
From The New Yorker - In this quiet but compelling novel, Trond Sander, a widower nearing seventy, moves to a bare house in remote eastern Norway, seeking the life of quiet contemplation that he has always longed for.
A chance encounter with a neighbor—the brother, as it happens, of his childhood friend Jon—causes him to ruminate on the summer of 1948, the last he spent with his adored father, who abandoned the family soon afterward. Trond’s recollections center on a single afternoon, when he and Jon set out to take some horses from a nearby farm; what began as an exhilarating adventure ended abruptly and traumatically in an act of unexpected cruelty.
Petterson’s spare and deliberate prose has astonishing force, and the narrative gains further power from the artful interplay of Trond’s childhood and adult perspectives. Loss is conveyed with all the intensity of a boy’s perception, but acquires new resonance in the brooding consciousness of the older man.
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Doorways - International Women’s Group
Doorways is a group of international women meeting on the first Wednesday of each month for social and cultural exchanges. These meetings typically take place at International House and feature different presentations from guest speakers.
If you are interested in Doorways, please contact Lakana at laklouk12@carolina.rr.com or Lara Printz at lprintz@ihclt.org.
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24th Annual International House Gala - October 6th
Please join us for an evening of Peruvian cuisine, dancing, entertainment, and Live and Silent Auctions at our 24th Annual Benefit Gala!
For Advance Reservations and Information, call 704.333.8099 or click here to make an online reservation. Corporate Sponsorships Available. Tickets are $150 per person. (A portion is tax-deductible)
Location: The Westin Charlotte
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2012
Time: Six-Thirty in the Evening - Black Tie Optional
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Recent Grants & Sponsorships ($2,500 & more) |
Dollar General Foundation - $15,000 for Adult English Tutoring program and ESL Classes
Fifth Third Bank -
$5,000 for Charlotte University
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Gail Johnson
Johnelle M. Causwell