BOSTON -- Children from more than 30 different countries attend the Washington Irving Middle School in Roslindale. For those who speak different languages, the transition can be difficult, but a program involving their peers is making a big difference.

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Students Learn Together

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that each afternoon, the children go to a special program called the Chat Room, an English conversation club started by one of their teachers.

"I wanted to create an environment where the children would feel comfortable and learn to get along with their peers from all different parts of the world," founder Georgia Kalogerakis said.

The children talk while collaborating on art projects. A year ago, they made a quilt expressing their feelings after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Their current project is devoted to holiday celebrations around the world.

Kandi Bugugu, from Congo, said the program inspired him to learn more about the homelands of the other children in the Chat Room.

"I started learning the names of the different countries because of the people I see," he said.

Their different backgrounds force them to come together to understand each other, Kalogerakis said.

"Because they're all speaking different languages, they have to use English to share their experiences with the other students," she said.