FORT MCCOY, Wis. — The Wisconsin National Guard says Afghan refugees at Fort McCoy are assimilating into life in America, including learning English through the Enforcer Kids Academy and Enforcer Adult Class.
These classes include guidance on writing, public speaking, and pronunciation, and have separate classes for children, adults, women and those already fluent in English, according to a statement from the Guard on Thursday.
The classes are hosted Monday through Friday, for one hour each. The classes are mainly intended to teach English to the refugees, with a side benefit being to familiarize the refugees with the American school schedule. Many of the Afghans have already obtained advanced degrees, and only need to finish their studies in the U.S.
Chief Warrant Officer Priscilla Atkinson mentioned that the fort is offering multiple classes per day, so that refugees will be better equipped to deal with American ways of life. “So whenever they go to school, they've already seen what a classroom looks like. They've experienced it. They'll transition from speaking their language into speaking our language, learning ABCs and counting," Atkinson said.
