Six weeks out of the summer, Somali refugee students go to St. Mary's School for the Deaf for summer camp through Say Yes Buffalo. The physical education teacher at the school, Jim Carmody, who all the kids refer to as Uncle Jim, figured why not combine the classes with the students who are deaf.

"I extended an invitation for them and thought maybe it would be nice if we did a PE class together, so they came one day and as I thought about it, I thought why don't they just come every day for the rest of the summer school,” he said. “We've been working together with deaf students and Somalian students learning about their cultures and language. It's been a great experience.”

Even though both groups of students face difficulties communicating with one another, this collaboration helps with just that.

"I think it's important to collaborate with other groups so each group is aware of each other,” he said. “I don't know if the Say Yes students have ever interacted with deaf students before, and I know our students haven't. When we started out we actually did on the second day a lesson on where Africa is and where is Somalia.”

And if it weren't for the Say Yes program, these refugees may not have the opportunity to learn as much as they are.

"The students, some of them are born here, some of them came a year, two years ago, some of them four years and it is kind of challenging in terms of the language and everything so having here with the program, summer camp helping them pretty good," said Abraham Iftin, executive director of the Somali Bantu Community Organization of Buffalo.

And since their parents may still be learning the language too, Say Yes makes sure the students are meeting their requirements.

"The parents don't know if the kids have homework, they come home with their homework and the parents cannot help them so that's why we need the summer school, the after school and everything that we can get them to," Iftin said.

And that help from Say Yes leads to success.

"It's resulted in a growth of over 17 percent in our graduation rates in the Buffalo Public Schools,” said State Senator Tim Kennedy. “It's another example of a collaborative effort of the Say Yes to Education program in cooperation with St. Mary's School for the Deaf to enhance our children's education, from all walks of life, different diversities and cultures and just kids being kids.”

It also helps Buffalo live up to its nickname.

"What we celebrate as the City of Good Neighbors is really what brings us together and our similarities far outweigh our differences," Carmody said.