KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - A group of students in Killeen ISD is taking part in the district's first-ever Newcomer Academy this summer, a program aimed at helping middle schoolers who are new to the country build skills and confidence before returning to campus.

Inside a classroom at Live Oak Ridge Middle School, students are spending the summer working on projects, writing and vocabulary as part of the two-week academy designed to support emerging bilingual learners."The reality is that we have a lot of students that are considered newcomers in our district. As they are coming in, there is that struggle of finding a way to connect," Eli Lopez, multilingual services executive director said.

The academy focuses on strengthening reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through hands-on activities.