MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Recreation's MPS Drive program is offering an English as a Second Language (ESL) course to increase access to the program for students who do not speak English natively.
TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins met Bibi Juhara Mohamad Jaafar and Rumana Bibi Nur Ahmad, two students enrolled in the program.
"My biggest responsibility is to drive safely, respect others and follow the traffic laws," Bibi Juhara said.
The course offers additional support to students.
"There are some words that I don't really understand," said Rumana Bibi. "Even some text, I don't get it. When I ask (the staff) they explain it to me in my own main language. I really understand. It's really helpful."
Many times students like these two ladies will be among the first in their families to legally obtain driving privileges.
"Once upon a time, my dad was in their spot. He was trying to learn and there was nobody helping him," said Rumana Bibi.
Growing up, she said she noticed her dad didn't follow some rules of the road. Not because he didn't want to but because he didn't always understand.
"Since I get this privilege to learn how to drive safely for your own protection and others, I feel really blessed and thankful," said Rumana Bibi.
Erin Sivek is an English Language Arts teacher who specializes in English as a second language.
"Words like curb or shoulder, that many of us that are native-English speakers grew up learning, these are new vocabulary terms," said Sivek.
She helps to teach this course and says meeting students where they are is critical to making streets safer. She said the goal is to teach the future drivers how to drive defensively and how to be calm and comprehensive drivers. She has been helping with the course since the first one, 6 years ago.
According to MPS Drive, 239 students have been taught in ESL courses. Of those, 176 have obtained permits and 109 have gone on to receive probationary licenses.
The students TMJ4 News spoke to say learning to drive is about more than getting behind the wheel for a fun ride with friends.
"For a lot of girls like it would be like a freedom. But, it's not like a freedom, it's more than a freedom. It's like helping out my parents," said Rumana Bibi who said she only has two people at home who can drive. Each of those people works 10 hours per day, 6 days per week.
She wants to help take some of the burden off of her hard-working parents.
"They have to do the grocery shopping. I want to take my mom. I want them to be resting that day," she said.
ESL Driver's Ed courses are expanding access to a critical course to an underrepresented group of teens in our community.
MPS Drive's Fall Registration Period opens Aug. 1, starting at 10 a.m. Click HERE to learn more.
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