For one hour a day once a week, four Santa Rita High School students become teachers.
The 11th- and 12-graders volunteer their time to use what they've learned in U.S. Government to teach citizenship classes to Vietnamese adults.
The students, who are also Vietnamese, spend time working not only on facts like who signs bills to become laws and how many justices are on the Supreme Court, but also on helping the adults become more comfortable with the English language.
Students read questions from the citizenship test in Vietnamese and then again in English. The adults are then asked to read back the question in English and provide the answer.
The program was created by the Tucson Unified School District's Pan Asian Studies Department, which works to empower students and families to advocate for themselves and their communities.
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Parents expressed a need for a citizenship class to Sang Nguyen, the department's resource teacher.
"We targeted the Vietnamese community because those parents don't speak English," said Pan Asian Studies Director Margaret Pasquet. "This is a way for them to get services and feel like they are a part of the school community.
"You can't think of the students separately from their families," Pasquet added. "We have to be a bridge for families who are still learning our school system, because without that support those parents would feel isolated."
The department serves nearly 2,000 students. Vietnamese students are the largest of the Asian and Pacific Islander populations the department works on helping. The second largest is Nepalese- speaking Bhutanese refugees.
Once the department decided to offer a citizenship course, Sara Grunberger - a student and family mentor specialist -Â put together a curriculum and talked to students about how the class would be run. Now, a month into the program, Grunberger serves as a facilitator.
Currently there is no end date for the program. It will continue once a week on Sundays until the students feel they are ready to take the citizenship test, Pasquet said.
Kathy Du, a Santa Rita senior, initially got involved as a way to fulfill a community-service requirement for her government class.
"I actually really like it now," she said.
"When they are able to pronounce the words right, it makes me so happy."
Du recalls when her father took the citizenship test he was worried about passing and only had the help of friends and families. Du believes a class like she is teaching now would have been beneficial.
Her classmate, Chris Pham, is also enjoying the experience.
"It's both challenging and fun," the senior said. "It brings me back to my roots because over time I think I started to lose it."
Xuan Do and his wife, Oanh Le, appreciate the assistance they get from the students.
"They are very friendly, and we are very excited for this class," Do said.
The couple came to the United States in 2005. They have two children in TUSD schools and would like to become citizens.
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 573-4175 or ahuicochea@azstarnet.com
