Why build welcoming schools? As a result of attending a welcoming school, students: ... Offer on-site ESL classes. ⢠C
Promoting a Culture of Welcome for Refugees in Schools: Approaches & Opportunities
Photo credit: Welcoming Rhode Island
Fostering Community Engagement and Welcoming Communities is supported by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR/ACF/DHHS)
Why Schools? Schools set the stage for welcome
Today’s Agenda 1. What is a Welcoming School Environment? Sanja Bebic, Center for Applied Linguistics
2. Examples of Welcome in Schools Shirin Herman, Houston Independent School District Ann Marie Kudlacz, SSCA, Omaha Paw Spai Moo, Lincoln High School
3. Audience Discussion 4. Additional Resources
Recognizing the Challenge…and the Opportunity
Why build welcoming schools? As a result of attending a welcoming school, students: •
have higher self-confidence
•
have better overall well-being
•
achieve at higher rates academically
And schools: •
achieve better attendance rates
•
lower drop out rates
•
improve rates of parental involvement
Suárez-Orozco, C., Suárez-Orozco, M.M., & I. Todorova. (2008). Learning in a new land: Immigrant students in American society. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Frank, T. H. (2005). The Handbook for Developing Supportive Learning Environments. Eye on Education.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cQ0EAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT15&ots=eBxGKT7SYh&sig=KI9JIwsdUj7ZTr1B-M7c8nwmzK4#v=onepage&q&f=false
Overseas Context Diversity of contexts • Educational backgrounds
• Access to education in countries of asylum • Cultural orientation programs for U.S. resettlement –
Adults
–
Children and youth
What do you think? (Type in your chat box):
What are the key ingredients of a Welcoming School?
Ways to Engage Students How do we help students feel at home in their school? Examples: •
Host after school clubs (Around the World Club)
•
Train students to offer tours of the school to newcomers
•
Have students take pictures of school routines and locations and prepare an orientation binder for new students
•
Have students label parts of the classroom in English and their home language, if possible
•
Have students share about their home cultures and languages across the content subjects
•
Have bilingual students work with newcomers; provide bilingual dictionaries
What do you think? (Type in your chat box):
How do you engage students?
Engaging Educators School Personnel are critical for establishing a culture of welcome. Examples: •
Professional development on cultural awareness and instruction of diverse learners
•
Provide texts and other resources in the various student languages and about the cultures in the school
•
Promote the use of online translators or language liaisons to translate documents and orally communicate with families
•
Encourage content teachers to communicate with ESL teachers, counselors and other support staff
What do you think? (Type in your chat box):
How do you engage educators?
Engaging Parents Many refugee parents have little school interaction and may not engage with more established parents. •
Hire parent and family liaisons
•
Offer on-site ESL classes
•
Conduct an orientation
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Prepare translated packet
•
Show video about the school
•
Conduct parent tours and classroom walk-throughs
•
Host bilingual parent meetings
•
Invite community speakers (nurse, librarian, resettlement worker)
•
Train parent volunteers to welcome new families and provide new information
What do you think? (Type in your chat box):
How do you engage parents?
Engaging the Broader Community Schools can help connect refugee families with the rest of the community.
• Bring the community into the school (health services, job fairs, ESL classes for adults, etc.) • Develop robust volunteer programs that engage diverse people in the community • Develop partnerships with other community services to provide programming and supports • Participate in community service projects initiated by the school, students, and/or families that bring people together to work on a shared interest
What do you think? Type in your chat box):
How do you engage the receiving community?
Education Impact Grant for Refugee Students Houston Independent School District Multi-lingual Department Shirin Herman
Houston’s Refugee Outreach Workers • Orientations- Parent guides and school video • Home visits • Interpretation • Parent/Teacher Conferences/Ambassador Program • Service Brokering • Crisis Intervention
Challenges that Impact Parent Involvement • Acculturation Stress on the Family • Access to the Family • Self Sufficiency Timeline
School personnel can help refugee students by: • Observing to see if additional services are needed • Protecting students from teasing or bullying
• Teaching students about rules of acceptable behavior before disciplining • Identifying students who demonstrate chronic negative behaviors
Nebraska: Bringing the Classroom to the Community SSCA Omaha •
Refugee Resettlement Agency
• Community Center / On-Site Refugee Programs •
Liaison with Refugee Leaders
•
Resources and Links to Services
Omaha Refugee Task Force -
Education
-
Housing
-
Employment
-
Health
- World Refugee Day
Community Partners and Collaborations Omaha Public Schools
• Parent meetings • ESL and Refugee Program/ Yates Community Center
• THRIVE Club • Quilted Conscience
Nebraska Partners and Collaborations SSCA Omaha
www.sscaomaha.info
THRIVE Club http://www.ops.org/high/south/STUDENTS/ActivitiesClubs/NonCurricularClubs/THRI VELeadershipClub/tabid/1288/Default.aspx
You’re Welcome in Omaha http://nebraskaishome.org/
A Student Perspective Paw Spai Moo Lincoln High School
Lincoln, NE
Moderated Discussion • Share your examples
• Questions for the speakers
• Areas that you think need further attention
Additional Resources • BRYCS (Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services): http://www.brycs.org
• I LEARN AMERICA: www.ilearnamerica.com
• Immigrant Integration Educator’s Resource Guide: www.coloradotrust.org
• Refugee School Impact Grant: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/school-impact
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: www.unhcr.org
Secondary Newcomer Programs in the U.S. Database
http://www.cal.org/CALWebDB/newcomer/
CAL Resources
www.culturalorientation.net
www.welcomingrefugees.org Promising Practice: Bridging Cultures at West Fargo High School
Contacts: Sanja Bebic, CAL,
[email protected]
Shirin Herman, Houston Independent School District,
[email protected]
Ann Marie Kudlacz, SSCA,
[email protected]
Susan Downs-Karkos, Welcoming America,
[email protected]