The Impact of Knoxville Internationals Network - KIN - KIN - CONNECT

The Nations at the Lunch Table

3/25/2021

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You wouldn't notice if you passed them in the courtyard, but their outdoor lunch table is a study in cross-cultural acceptance. These Iraqis and Americans see nothing strange about sharing a meal every weekday. (The one time in the school day, by the way, when they take off their masks.) Some of them have been friends for years and some have joined the table in the last few months.

ELL: Much More Than a School Subject

11/30/2020

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What keeps you going to work every day?

For Emma,* an ELL (English Language Learner) teacher, it’s the other teachers at her school and the kids in her classroom. Emma has been teaching at a local middle school for seven years now.

In ELL, Emma has the same students across several years, often until they test out of ELL services. That means she gets to know them and their families personally.

From Bully to Friend: A Middle School Story

10/5/2020

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When our culture instructor surveyed her class about possible topics to discuss, two mothers—one from Iraq and one from Thailand—asked about bullying. The Iraqi mother said that before they fled Iraq, they had many enemies, but they thought things would be different here in America. Now her middle-schooler dreaded going to school because some kids bullied him constantly because of his race. Both mothers were discouraged and hurting for their children.

More Alike Than Different

8/3/2020

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Sarah’s purple hair catches many by surprise, so she walked into her KIN interview willing to change the color if Jani, KIN’s Volunteer Outreach Coordinator, thought she should. But Jani loved it, and Sarah began her internship with KIN a couple of days later.

As a college senior, Sarah already knew she wanted a career helping those without a voice in society.

Emily Takes Some Pictures

1/28/2020

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Here’s a little “behind the scenes” story about something you may not know we do at KIN.

I (Judith) should have a bumper sticker that says, “You had me at falafel.” That’s why, when Jani, our volunteer outreach coordinator, asked me to accompany Emily* to Yassin’s Falafel House, I didn’t hesitate to agree.

Does Mentoring Make a Difference?

1/14/2020

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Her tear-filled eyes wide, Abe’s mother pulled her teacher aside after adult English class one day in late August. Her teenage son, a high school senior, was failing chemistry at school and hiding in his room at home. Could the English instructor find a tutor for him? The instructor jumped into action, reaching out to several potential tutors before she found a very bright university student with a keen grasp of chemistry. They began meeting regularly, and Abe’s grades soon rose.

Hats, Scarves, and Gloves…oh, my!

12/3/2019

cold weather sets wrapped and ready to go

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The calls went out within an hour of hearing the plan. Here at KIN, we love ELL (English Language Learner) teachers, and ELL teachers love their students.

At one local high school, the ELL teachers wanted to make sure every student had a Christmas gift. For some students, it’s their first Christmas in the US…and their first Christmas in the cold.

Victoria's Venezuela

4/8/2019

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I was just nine years old and I didn’t know how the only thing I knew…how my whole world was going to change.

My parents told my sister and me we had to move from Venezuela, the place where I was born, because it was getting hard for my dad to work there. I was little, so at first, I didn’t pay much attention to it. But as the days went by, I started thinking about my family, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Was I ever going to see them again?

Backpack Blessings

1/21/2019

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Remember the excitement of the first day of school? Remember how proudly you shouldered your new backpack and marched into school?

International children now have the same feeling after they visit the Knox County Schools Welcome Center, where new families enroll their children in school throughout the year. Every child receives a well-stocked backpack, readying them for that first day in their new schools.

In 2018, KIN collected 100 backpacks for the Welcome Center. Ms. Sharon Cate, the director, described the impact this way:

"When new students arrive to our district, they come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. As they prepare for school in a new environment, there are many new experiences they encounter, one of which is being screened for ESL services. They do this by completing an online language screener. As you can imagine, this is sometimes stressful for new students.

"Just one example of how the backpacks have helped our students is demonstrated by a young student who broke into tears upon learning that she needed to complete an on-line English screener. To calm her down, we stepped away from the screening area and invited her to pick out a backpack filled with school supplies. She was so happy to have the materials she needed for school and a new backpack. She came back ready to complete her screener and go to school.

"The gifts of your time, money, and materials make a difference. The backpacks and school supplies are a tangible way of showing our new students and their families that they are indeed welcome in Knox County. Thank you so much for your support."

Replacing Ronaldo's Hope

12/3/2018

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A bomb robbed young Ronaldo of much of his hearing. Then an international move robbed him and his family of their home and everything familiar. It’s no surprise Ronaldo struggled in school after they reached Knoxville. He couldn’t hear well, and what he heard wasn’t always understandable. He couldn’t sit still in class. He couldn’t finish his homework, and he resisted discipline at school. Ronaldo was frustrated. His parents were desperate.

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865.235.1476
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Knoxville, TN 37930

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Knoxville, TN 37919

Photos used under Creative Commons from shixart1985, shixart1985