Lyman Moore Middle School students will deepen their understanding of what it means to be an American when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalizes 55 candidates for citizenship during a ceremony at the school on Friday, April 5. 

Hosting naturalization ceremonies is a decades-long tradition at Moore, said grade 7 social studies teacher David Hilton, who leads the effort to have USCIS select the school as a host site. Hilton said the ceremony provides a real-life experience of what is involved in becoming a U.S. citizen that ties into students’ learning.

“We strive to break artificial borders between school and community,” Hilton said. “These ceremonies are beautiful moments to share with our neighbors. They also definitely answer the perpetual and reasonable student question: ‘Why are we learning this?’”

Moore Principal Ben Donaldson will provide welcoming remarks at the 10 a.m. ceremony. Kenga Dilamini, a Deering High School math teacher and former educational technician at Moore, will provide keynote remarks to Maine’s newest citizens. Moore’s school chorus and orchestra will perform the national anthem and other musical selections. Students will also lead the Pledge of Allegiance and recite “The New Colossus,” a poem that is engraved on the Statue of Liberty. 

Carrie Selby, USCIS associate director, external affairs directorate, will administer the Oath of Allegiance to the candidates.

The 55 citizenship candidates originate from the following 26 countries: Argentina, Burundi, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, France, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Somalia, Spain, Syria and the United Kingdom.