Activism and Advocacy During Troubled Times: A Road Map for Improved Practices Among Newcomer Youth (Poster 69)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Seven
  In Poster Session: Youth Teams in Education Research Poster Session

Abstract

This two-year study took place in a rural high school in Western Canada, with approximately 35% of the students identifying as a visible minority. It represented a transformational experience for the researchers, the student participants and the school’s administration. Through a multi-layered approach involving the student body, focus groups, surveys, social media, and dialogue, the researchers came to a better understanding of newcomer and 1.5 generation students’ experiences, and uncovered the racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious challenges that these students so often face. Among these were lack of recognition and awareness about religion (e.g., holiday observances and prayer times), personal and family pressure to perform academically, racism, fear of backlash for cultural/ religious events, and lack of involvement/ connection to the school. The process afforded the school an opportunity to heighten awareness and understanding of the power of self-advocacy and to encourage racial literacy in authentic discussions. The session will highlight the unique nature of the relationship among administration, researchers, educators, and student participants, and discuss how challenges were overcome through engaging students in proactive social justice initiatives. These included the creation of multimodal content (social media advocacy posts) that incorporated the pertinent themes revealed through the focus groups, and the formation of an advisory board that identified urgent issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The presenters will demonstrate how three distinct, but related levels (the micro (classroom, school), the meso (community), and the macro (provincial and/or national level practices and policies)) can work together to improve the way in which education systems interact with newcomer/racialized students. Additionally, the presentation will offer insights into and underscore the implications of how best educational practices can be addressed, particularly for newcomer students and pre-/in-service educators.

Authors

• Rahat Zaidi, University of Calgary
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michelle Veroba, Brooks Composite High School
  Presenting Author

• Nikki Kasaba, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Cindy Li, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Selma Abdulkadir, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author

• Kanaalaq Hoyland, Youth Teams in Education Research
  Presenting Author