DEARBORN — A group of teachers from the surrounding area are utilizing their teaching skills for immigration reform. 

Several area teachers have collaborated with honor students from local high schools in an initiative that aims to increase the number of citizenship applicants that pass the United States Citizenship Exam.

The citizenship exam covers areas of civics, government and politics, as well as English reading and writing. In this new program, “Make Me A Citizen,” teachers will look to increase the passage rate through an aggressive approach. 

Students will work in small groups and learn through application, not just memorization. Due to a lack of courses available in the area, many people study for the exam on their own. According to recent reports, 1 in 3 test takers fail the Naturalization Civics Exam. 

“We believe American democracy depends on citizens who understand our constitution and history. Too many people lack proficiency in both civics and U.S. history,” says Linda Jawad, a teacher with Make Me A Citizen. “Its time to make sure that immigration reform takes center stage in our state politics. As an educator, I know this is the best way that I can give back to my community. Participants in this program will be given the most comprehensive civics curriculum available. I am confident that our approach will increase passage rates and serve an important role in making sure hard working immigrants become United States Citizens, by providing them with the necessary tools to succeed on their Naturalization Exam.”

Students will cover history, geography, and government/civics content that is covered in the oral civics test portion of the interview. Participants will practice reading aloud and writing from dictation, using the vocabulary they learn in class. 

This week the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that there will be several changes made to the N-400 form, the application that all aspiring Americans must fill out before becoming a citizen. When the change goes into effect later this spring, green card holders will face a citizenship application form that is twice as long, adding 10 pages of questions. 

Participants who join Make Me A Citizen will get the opportunity to learn more about the new N-400 form. The teachers hope to provide participants extensive practice in understanding and responding to questions on the reworked form. An immigration attorney will be available to answer questions during the workshop. 

Classes will be held in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights as an all-inclusive course. The cost of the course is $150, which will cover the learning materials and program fees. Students must have a basic knowledge of English. Spanish, German and Arabic tutors are available. Classes will begin later this month. For more information call 313.451.1795.