By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Princeton Township police have partnered with the YWCA to introduce visitors from other countries to American culture and customs as part of the department’s community outreach.
They do so through semi-intensive, two weeks of classes for visitors to the United States that focuses on personal safety, the safety of Princeton and motor vehicle rules.
A stop at police headquarters includes a talk with Sgt. Michael R. Cifelli, Community Services Bureau, who answers questions that range from what education and training are needed to become an American police officer to how to deal with a mugger.
For Sgt. Cifelli, this is one of the highlights of his job.
”I take the time because I feel it’s important for people to understand that the police in general are more than the men and women you see writing tickets and making arrests,” he said. “I take the time especially with foreign visitors because in many cases the police in their native countries are worlds apart from what the police in the United States are in terms of our jobs and how we interact with the community. I get to see the realization in many of the visitors that the police are real people that like to take a positive role in their communities.”
The time where they could talk with Sgt. Cifelli in a small group and have all their questions answered offered great comfort to the travelers.
”I came to America for the first time, and I’ve been here about five months and I didn’t know anything about American life,” said Min Young Park, a South Korean visiting scholar staying in Princeton while studying how people learn a foreign language at Rutgers University. “I learned about American culture and American life. It may be a simple thing, but I want to ask someone if it is OK to go out at night. And I have two children, so can I keep them home alone or do I need a gun? I worried that Americans have guns. I have many questions, but when I come here I ask the sergeant.”
During her first year as the new director of the YWCA Princeton’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program, Paula Rossi received telephone and email requests for short-term classes for people visiting friends and relatives in the area.
”At the time, the ESL program did not offer anything that would accommodate the needs of students who were here for short periods and wanted to practice American English and experience the culture of the United States,” said Ms. Rossi.
To meet the need, Eileen Mannix, an ESL teacher at the YWCA, developed a curriculum to answer the questions and provide information about American customs and way of life. The program included conversation, writing, grammar and most importantly, field trips.
Students are taken to Princeton Public Library, the Princeton University museum, police officers at the Princeton Township police departments and the Princeton Township First Aid and Rescue Squad, and enjoy a meal at a typical diner.
”Chief (Robert) Buchanan asked me to host the group as a favor to Eileen Mannix, with whom he was already acquainted,” said Sgt. Cifelli. “The police department was looking to help present a positive image in the community, and with this we were able to accomplish both.”
The visit to the police station has been a hit and really helps ease the students minds.
”There have been many questions about safety and this gives the students an opportunity to ask them,” said Ms. Mannix.
For many students, policing is done very differently without the strong focus on community policing that is key in the way Princeton Township police conduct business in their home countries and police are not viewed as the pillars of the community as they are in America.
”I understand better the role of New Jersey police,” said Vitor Nakano, a Brazilian staying in Trenton while visiting family and improving his English. “I learn about their background of the police and I understand the relationship of the police officer and the population.”
Ms. Mannix said learning police are in the community to assist people is an important idea that many foreign visitors do not understand.
”It’s important for visitors to know we have a good relationship with the police so that you are not afraid to go to police for help, she said.”
Mr. Nakano, who snapped lots of photos during the police department tour, found the YWCA through Google and searching English as a second language.
The ESL program has welcomed visitors from Brazil, China, France, Japan, Italy, Poland, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan. It runs about $12/hour plus any admission fees for field trips. The winter break class, which ran two sessions in December, cost $360 and was scheduled to meet demands.
”It was good to compare how the police department is in the United States with Brazil police department because I’m a lawyer and for me it’s very important to know how this is working,” said Tatiana Ferreira, a visitor from Brazil staying in Lawrence during a two-month holiday. “A long time ago I saw a movie where the girl went to Princeton University and for this I researched about Princeton University and the Princeton city.”
In addition to class time, students are encouraged to enrich their ESL experiences by attending other free activities for enrolled students.
”Conversation groups facilitated by community volunteers are offered during the week and Rosetta Stone is available in the computer lab,” said Ms. Rossi. “Some of our visitors have taken advantage of the offerings and have customized their language immersion experience.”
As a result of the success of the short-term visitors ESL class, a new full-term class was designed to meet the needs of newcomers, said Ms. Rossi. The course is designed for those with an academic background in English with reading and writing who have difficulty with or need more practice in listening and speaking.
The ESL program offers more than 40 classes in the fall and spring terms and about 10 classes during the five-week summer program. The classes generally run for 12 to 18 weeks depending on the length of the term and are designed for the student to attend for the full term.
