Promising Pathways and Practices for the Social and Academic Integration of Refugee-Background Students

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Acculturation, Multiculturalism, and Positive Youth Development

Abstract

Due to the wide variation of support for Syrian students across Canada, our goal was to provide support for these students and create opportunities for them to share their lived experiences. We focused on the use of identity-focussed activities, that support the identity and language development of Syrian refugee children. We designed the in-class workshops to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences and aspirations of these youth while supporting their integration by providing bilingual spaces for sharing and reflection. The multimedia artefacts emerging from the workshops afforded insights into important milestones in their lives, their multiple identities, their experiences at school, as well as their hopes and aspirations for their future, which needed to inform any meaningful educational recommendations.

Authors

• Emmanuelle LePichon-Vorstman, University of Toronto

• Antoinette Gagné, University of Toronto