Engaging Newcomer Families: Youth-Suggested Approaches

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Listening to Voices Across Contexts in Family, School, Community Partnerships (Table 22)

Abstract

This study focuses on the engagement of immigrant students who have recently arrived in the United States—or newcomers—and their families. In a descriptive case study, utilizing a large administration of a survey and interviews, 405 adolescent students who had recently arrived in the United States shared experiences that led to a sense of belonging in their large urban high school. This study details how family separation and reunification, financial responsibilities, value of education, and pride impact school family engagement efforts. Study outcomes include student-proposed best practices for family engagement and innovative solutions for educators, including strategies to include families in home countries and to support the wellbeing of newly arrived students and families.

Author

• Kristen McInerney, RTI International