Literacy Volunteers provides English Language Civics to help refugees become familiar with life in America. Students are learning about our community and
about local, state, and federal government. Classes are held at the
United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Albany. The United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and Catholic Charities are resettling hundreds of families from Burma, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Congo, and Sudan. By partnering with these organizations LVORC helps them along the road to self-sufficiency.

Music and English Language
By Linda Feldmann, Small Group Instructor

Music is the universal language, and Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County is using music to improve the English skills of students from Burma and Afghanistan, while building a sense of community and having fun. Volunteer tutor Carol Miller leads a group of adult learners each
Tuesday at the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, where she has discovered a remarkable range of musical talents. The Music and English Language class is a new addition to the wide range of free programs and services offered by Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County.
It began as a component of the English Language Civics program, as a way to introduce American culture, traditions, and history in a participatory and enjoyable form. It has grown into an ongoing opportunity to develop good pronunciation, stress, and meter, in a positive learning environment.Several of the students are accomplished guitarists, and class members are finding their singing voices while developing confidence in using the English language. Repetition of lyrics through song practice builds familiarity with vocabulary, helps listening comprehension, and gives students an opportunity to practice in a way that takes the pressure off the individual learner.