Journey to Refuge

Pre-K through 12th grade schools within the United States have become much more diverse in recent years. Schools are now commonly not only diverse because of diverse students born in the United States, but also have many immigrant students. A growing number of these immigrant students are resettled children who have refugee status. In schools, these recent immigrants are called newcomers. This book is a culmination of research and anecdotal experiences regarding the refugee issue as...
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Pre-K through 12th grade schools within the United States have become much more diverse in recent years. Schools are now commonly not only diverse because of diverse students born in the United States, but also have many immigrant students. A growing number of these immigrant students are resettled children who have refugee status. In schools, these recent immigrants are called newcomers. This book is a culmination of research and anecdotal experiences regarding the refugee issue as it pertains to these students in American schools and schools elsewhere in the world. Scholars, policy makers, educators, those who work in the refugee field, artists, musicians, and others have come together to provide this resource of fifteen chapters that address three areas regarding the refugee student. This information is designed to help educators and volunteers who work with newcomer students and includes a) what it means to be a refugee, b) how the newcomer student may be affected by trauma, and c) best practices for the classroom. Additionally, fifteen spotlight sections highlight valuable resources, ideas, or organizations that may assist schools and educators who work with newcomer students. This book goes alongside a documentary film called Refuge in the Heartland, which the editor co-directed and is available on YouTube, and was produced by the Kansas State University College of Education. The authors and contributors of this book have direct experience in working with refugees, newcomer students, traumatized individuals, or in teacher preparation programs. The work of former students of 40 universities is represented in this text, as well as many other non-profit organizations. The artwork was done by students at Valley Center Middle School in Valley Center, Kansas and by their teacher, Marie Taylor, a graduate of the KSU College of Education Art Education Program. This book is dedicated to the children who leave a refugee camp halfway across the world on a hot summer day dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip flips, and whose airplane lands on a ten-degree day in a snowy, cold place that is unlike anything they have ever experienced.