Fill out this interest form:
HOW TO JOIN?
FAQ
Teaching Refugees to Understand English (T.R.U.E.) at UT Austin
Q&A for Students
Email: trueorg.pr@gmail.com
Instagram: ut.true
Interest Form (Spring 2024): Now closed, but will reopen fall 2024
What is T.R.U.E.?
Teaching Refugees to Understand English is a registered student organization at UT Austin that teaches English to young refugees and immigrants at various schools around AISD. Every week, TRUE students tutor English to a small group of refugee students for at least one hour.
When and where does T.R.U.E. tutor refugees?
TRUE students pick a time that they are available each week and are paired with a group of refugees at an AISD school based on that time.
How do I join T.R.U.E.?
We will send out a google interest form at the beginning of the semester. We will then send out an application for participants to fill out, and we will choose the applicants that will be placed into schools. You should be emailed with your result approximately a week after the application closes.
What or how should I tutor the refugees? Does T.R.U.E. provide lesson plans?
It’s up to you on how exactly to teach your students. Each student is different and requires a different approach to tutoring. T.R.U.E. does provide lesson plans to be a foundation for you to start teaching, which will be shared to you in a Google Drive once you have joined.
How do I get to the tutoring location? Does T.R.U.E. provide transportation?
Unfortunately, T.R.U.E. does not provide transportation, so students will have to drive, take the bus, bike, or share a ride with someone else. However, carpool opportunities might still be available if other T.R.U.E. students share the same time as you.
Do I need to pay to join T.R.U.E.?
Once we have accepted your application, you will be contacted to pay 10$ in dues to T.R.U.E. These funds will go towards buying teaching materials and improvements to the club. If you are willing to carpool for other volunteers, you will not need to pay the dues.
What if the only language I know is English?
That’s perfectly fine! T.R.U.E. does not expect its members to know any languages but English. A language barrier is to be expected at first, which is why it’s important for T.R.U.E. members to also communicate non-verbally, using hand gestures and pictures. The worksheets that T.R.U.E. gives are also designed to help non-English speakers through visual pictures.
Even if you feel that it’s difficult to tutor student refugees because of the language barrier and that the students you’re teaching aren’t learning much, it’s still valuable to the student refugees that you show up consistently every week. Having someone to meet and talk to individually every week is important for young refugees as it adds a sense of security and comfort in their lives. When tutoring student refugees, it’s more important to think about the way you act than it is to think about the way you speak.
What happens if I have to miss my time of tutoring during the week? What happens if I want to stop tutoring?
If you have to miss your time during the week, you can choose to reschedule the time yourself or skip the week. If you find yourself skipping multiple weeks in a row, T.R.U.E. might not be the program for you. If you decide to stop tutoring, please let us know through email or text.
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