Learn local culture, foundational English skills, with IU Kokomo microcredential

A simple task like grocery shopping can be daunting in a new country, using a new language.

Indiana University Kokomo aims to help new residents feel at home in Kokomo with a new offering from Indiana University Kokomo’s Achieve Improve Master (AIM) microcredential program.

Participants will join Lori Bruns, lecturer in English, and Brandi Keith, adjunct instructor of sociology and student success, for the in-person class, Foundational English and American Culture. Beginning September 2, the program will explore basic language skills and cultural knowledge. It will include both classroom sessions and field trips in the Kokomo community.

Registration is open for up to 15 learners at go.iu.edu/8u6d. Cost is $250 for the class, which meets from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays from September 2 to October 28.

Bruns said the two-part class meets the needs of adult family members of people coming from Korea to work in the new StarPlus Energy battery plants. The first part focuses on language, while the second is on understanding American culture.

“The foundational language knowledge will make it easier for someone who hasn’t been here very long, or doesn’t have a good background in English, to do their daily tasks,” she said. “We will prepare them for doctor visits and emergency visits so they will be comfortable talking to someone who might assist them. We’re also going to talk about navigating the grocery store and their children’s schools, to make their lives a little easier and communicate with those around them.”

Keith said cultural understanding — like knowing how to greet people — will give the learners confidence to be out and about in Kokomo.

“An example is that in some countries, people hug and kiss when they greet each other, but here we don’t,” she said. “These small things equip them not just with the language to navigate their new community, but how to behave in social situations. It gives them confidence to make connections with other people.”

Bruns said many times, adult family members who have moved to a new country for their partner’s job end up isolated because they don’t feel comfortable and welcome, and sometimes rely on their children to help them translate at school.

“This microcredential will prepare them so they don’t have to rely on others to get around, and they can make friends and feel at home here,” she said.

The session is part of IU Kokomo’s AIM program, which offers non-credit-bearing microcredentials called badges. Microcredentials are competencies or certifications in a topic area that can be used to upskill and advance in interpersonal skills or technology, or to equip people to take on new roles or leverage new tools.

IU Kokomo has previously offered microcredentials on topics including Faith Community Nursing, Essentials of Leadership, and Robert’s Rules of Order. Leah Nellis, vice chancellor for innovation and special projects, said additional microcredential programs will also be available in fall 2025. Individuals can enroll directly in existing microcredential programs. However, programs can also be created upon request to meet the needs of local businesses and organizations.

AIM offerings can range from brief programs to year-long or semester-long series. They can be delivered in person, by video conference, online, or in a hybrid format.