Smart Start is our Cultural Orientation, ESL and Employment readiness program. These are classes are available to all refugees, asylees, and many humanitarian parolees. These classes are designed to teach practical English language skills as well as the skills necessary to help clients adjust to life in the U.S. These skills include completing job applications, writing checks, filling a prescription, reporting a problem to the apartment office, and interviewing for a job. With basic English acquisition, clients are more likely to sustain employment and become self-reliant earlier in the resettlement process. The program also encourages clients to develop relationships and interact with their classmates and community.
Led by God Is Good staff and volunteers, our Smart Start classes meet four mornings per week at our office. Students are divided into groups based on English proficiency so that all students are studying at an appropriate level.
In addition to Smart Start classes, all clients complete 15 Cultural Orientation trainings in which they learn basic information about life in the U.S. Topics include transportation, community services, finances, US laws, cultural adjustment, education, employment, health, housing, and safety.
During their first 90 days in the U.S., clients also receive an in-person bus training, as well as intensive training on Employment Readiness and Financial Literacy.
For more information, please contact Barb Bias at [email protected]