It is estimated that 34% of all refugees resettled by the United States are school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 18 years. The need to provide services to this population is tremendous as many face significant challenges adapting to American schools, whether academically, culturally, or psychosocially. Refugee students may arrive with minimal previous formal education, interrupted schooling, and/or limited English. In addition, refugee students need time to adjust to American culture, to make friends, and develop a sense of belonging in their new school, community, and country. Refugee parents support their children to the best of their ability, but cultural, linguistic, and other barriers may prevent them from being involved in their children’s education in the way that teachers expect them to be.
The individual experiences of refugee families, as well as the characteristics and infrastructure of the receiving communities, affect how well refugee children adapt to their new schools. Teachers and school personnel do their best to accommodate refugee students, but often without much preparation as refugees are typically resettled with little advance notice. BRYCS supports teachers and other school personnel working with refugee children and families by providing consultations, training, and other kinds of technical assistance. Whether you are new to working with refugee students or a veteran, the following resources are a good place to start your search for information.
Schools Resources
Promising Practices
Promising Practices
Get new ideas, share your promising practice, and read about other refugee-serving programs across the country!
Refugee School Impact Program
Refugee School Impact Program
If you receive Refugee School Impact funds from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, visit this page specifically designed for you.
Schools Blog
School Enrollment FAQ
For migrant families, one of the greatest challenges in the U.S. can be enrolling children in school. Families may have trouble gathering the requested documentation, [...]
Translation tools for children
Hello, Recently, my child's elementary school enrolled Afghan and Syrian refugee students. The school is used to Spanish speakers but has not had to handle [...]
Creating Compassionate Schools: Supporting Unaccompanied Refugee Children
What is it like for an unaccompanied, undocumented child to be apprehended at the border, reunified and transitioned into the public education system? Thus far [...]
Enrolling Refugee Children in U.S. Schools
“He doesn’t have a birth certificate.” “You have only lived in the U.S. for a couple of months.” “She is not the child’s legal guardian.” [...]
Information for Refugee School Impact Grantees
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) created the Refugee School Impact Grant (RSIG) in 1998. The purpose of the grant is to provide support to [...]
Muslim Refugee Youth: Stories & Strategies Addressing Discrimination & Bullying
Working in refugee resettlement, you always hear about the refugees that arrive to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their back. Despite [...]
Lessons Learned: School Orientation for Refugee Parents
Including more on U.S. Schools in General Orientation sessions Through the Department of State’s Reception and Placement Program, adult refugee arrivals are provided basic orientation [...]