MANCHESTER -- It's hard to have a voice in your community if you don't understand the language. Many immigrant students struggle to learn the most basic lessons in local schools, where the text books and assignments are written in what is at best their second language.

A program based on Pine Street is working to change that.

Last Wednesday, the International Institute of New Hampshire hosted NH Family Literacy Night, celebrating the partnership between the IINH's School Impact Program, the Manchester school system, and local community volunteers in promoting literacy and social adjustment among refugee students and their families. The event featured presentations showcasing the intercultural collaboration at the institute. The event also showcased student work and partnerships in Manchester and elsewhere across the state.

The program provides basic education and opportunities to help support students — and their parents — engage and succeed in city schools.

“This program shows the partnership between the International Institute of New Hampshire and the school district of Manchester,” said Nasir Arush, the new site director at IINH. “We work with the schools and with the students who are with the refugees here. Today we have the students, we have their parents, we have community members and school officials. There is a very strong partnership with the school district here.”

Arush feels the need for a program such as this is great.

According to the 2010 census, New Hampshire had more than 3,500 refugees relocate here over the last nine years. Of those, according to figures provided by the office of Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, 2,148 (about 61 percent) relocated to the Queen City.

“This is a very important program,” said Amadou Hamady, the IINH's School Impact program coordinator. “Being an immigrant and going through the school system, I know how difficult it is for many of these refugees. The main challenge for me was learning the language because I knew that if I had English, I could navigate the system. But if you don't have the language, don't have that tool, it's very hard to make friends and understand what you are learning. That's why something like this is so important.”

The School Impact Program provides education in basic skills for students and parents. Volunteer instructors participate because they believe literacy and a basic education are the “building blocks of democracy,” according to an IINH pamphlet about the project.

Each student brings a uniquely personal story.

“I think a program like this is important on many levels, mainly in terms of the city itself,” said Manchester's superintendent of schools, Thomas Brennan. “In terms of the individuals, language and education opens up all kinds of doors financially and new opportunities for these folks. This is only part of the solution, and I think having a partnership like this benefits us all in the long run.”

Hamady said the program provides after-school homework help for high school and middle school students and teaches basic English to parents. It also offers a cultural arts and dance program.

According to Hamady, 19 high school students and 54 middle school students have taken advantage of the homework help program during the 2011-12 academic year, while 20 adults have used the resource to learn English. There were seven students in the arts program and eight in the dance classes.

“There's no question that when you see groups like this together, it's expanding their knowledge and commitment in the city, and I think that's a great thing,” said Gatsas.

“When you can get people to come in and not be fearful of the city, that is always a good thing. The kids are matriculating through the school district, and they are learning here. When they get a handle on the language, they can help the adults.”

“It's improving, and it's expanding,” Brennan said of the program. “Every time you bring in a new program, people have questions about it, but this is two years into this program now, and we are going to be collaborating on another school-impact grant with the institute, and I believe we'll grow it even more.”

Brennan stressed that it's not just young students who benefit from the program. In addition, he noted, interns from local colleges gain valuable experience as interpreters and instructors.

“Our hope is to continue this again next year, and hopefully the year after and the year after,” said Arush. “One of the achievements of this program, it has made the refugee program and the community really close.”

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Paul Feely may be reached at pfeely@unionleader.com.