With the right tools, educating refugee students can be a rewarding and rich experience; not just for our refugee families, but for educators, administrators and the broader community, as well.
Refugee School Impact is committed to helping schools and teachers understand and support the refugee students they serve.
Below are a sampling of the courses available for schools that work directly with refugee populations. To inquire about a course or for more information about all of our various training and development classes, please contact us.
Refugee 101
Attendees will:
1. Understand the differences between refugees and immigrants.
2. Understand the conditions of refugee camps and how they impact students’ world view, behavior, and academic learning.
3. Understand the resettlement process, the services available to refugee students, and the barriers that refugee families in transitioning into their new home.
4. Know the difference between ESL and SLIFE students.
5. Be able to list effective solutions to problematic behavior often displayed by refugee students.
6. Recognize the barriers that hinder refugee parents’ active participation in their children’s education.
7. Be able to list effective solutions to problematic refugee parent behavior.
Historical & Cultural Considerations for Refugee Populations in Fort Worth
Attendees will:
1. Understand pertinent cultural and historical information about the countries of Ukraine, Burma, Afghanistan and The Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. Understand specific culturally and historically informed tips to working with refugee families from these countries.
3. Gain insight and understanding into some experiences of refugee families.
Working with SLIFE Students
Attendees will:
1. Understand the definition of a SLIFE student.
2. Understand the barriers to learning that a typical SLIFE student presents with.
3. Understand the importance of using a SLIFE student’s past skills, experiences, and strengths to bridge learning in the classroom.
4. Be able to list effective strategies that help SLIFE students learn in a classroom.
Parent/Teacher Conferences with Refugee Families
Attendees will:
1. Understand a brief overview of pertinent cultural and historical information about the current countries Fort Worth receives refugee families from: Ukraine, Burma, Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, and Sudan.
2. Understand specific culturally and historically informed tips to working with refugee families from these countries.
3. Observe a role play in order to gain perspective of a refugee parent’s experiences and lack of experiences that contribute to the stress and barriers in a refugee parent’s understanding of involvement in their student’s education process.
4. Identify and match observed outcomes seen in the public school setting with the experiences refugee students experience.
5. Recognize the barriers that hinder refugee parents’ active participation in their children’s education.
6. Understand how to structure an effective Parent Teacher conference with a refugee parent.
7. Understand how to talk slowly and in short phrases when using an interpreter.
8. Understand the importance of using trauma informed approach when holding a parent teacher conference with refugee parents.
Trauma Informed Teaching Strategies for PELL/SLIFE Students
Attendees will:
1. Understand the importance of using a SLIFE student’s past skills, experiences, and strengths to bridge learning in the classroom
2. Understand the differences between refugees and immigrants
3. Understand the conditions of refugee camps and how they impact students’ world view, behavior, and academic learning
4. Identify the most common barriers and stressors to refugee families
5. Understand the definition of a PELL (Program for pre-literate learners) student and a SLIFE student
6. Understand the definition of the phrase “trauma informed care”
7. Be able to list ways in which a school community can be trauma informed for refugee/SLIFE students
8. Learn specific instructional models that help teachers identify and build off of a SLIFE student’s strengths to bridge learning.
Current course offerings available to Leaders, Teachers, and Paraprofessionals:
For more information and to register please click here.