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 local school systems that are affected by significant numbers of refugee children. For an overview of this program, see the following:
- Office of Refugee Resettlement’s webpage on the Refugee School Impact Grant
- The Refugee School Impact Grant: Facilitating the Integration of Refugee Children into American Schools
- 22-18 (05/09/22) Afghan Refugee School Impact: Support to Schools Supplement
- 22-13 (03/31/22) Afghan Refugee School Impact: FY 2022 Second Supplement
- 22-06 (10/25/21) Refugee School Impact Refugee Support Services Set-Aside: FY 2022 Funding
- 22-04 (10/19/21) Afghan Refugee School Impact Supplement: FY 2022 Quarter 1
- 20-12 (09/29/20) FY 2021 Refugee School Impact — Refugee Support Services Set-Aside
- 20-03 (10/22/19) Fiscal Year 2020 Refugee School Impact Support Services Set-Aside
- 19-01 (11/06/18) Refugee Technical Assistance Grantee
For Federal Fiscal Years 2016-2017, there were 38 states that were awarded Refugee School Impact Grants. For more information on each state’s RSIG program, check out the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement’s State Programs Annual Overview, which provides detailed information on RSIG (and other programs) by state.
Each of the awarded states subgrants with local school districts, refugee resettlement agencies, and community based organizations. For more information on what these local programs are doing, check out BRYCS’ Promising Practices map. This map has descriptions of over 100 programs serving refugee children throughout the U.S., many of which are funded by Refugee School Impact Grants. If you would like to specifically read about RSIG funded programs, choose “Refugee School Impact Grant” under “Search by topic.”
If you are currently an RSIG coordinator and have questions or concerns regarding the program or funding, please contact the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Created by USCCB, in collaboration with Catholic Charities Fort Worth, is a basic, pictorial guide to use a Google Chromebook. The intended audience is refugee students, parents, and/or guardians who have very limited experience with technology. With the support of CCFW, this document has been translated into 11 languages.
American Public Schools Videos
Our Refugee School Impact (RSI) sub-grantees in Texas worked together to record and translate videos designed to inform refugee parents about the American public school system. Given COVID-19, RSI sites will use these videos in lieu of in-person RSI parent orientations whenever necessary.
These videos cover 6 topics:
- Intro to American Public Schools (created by Dallas ISD)
- Tips to Support Learning at Home (created by Austin ISD)
- Student Progress & Behavior (created by Catholic Charities TX Panhandle)
- COVID-19 Hygiene (created by Catholic Charities Fort Worth)
- Bullying (created by Catholic Charities San Antonio)
- Community Involvement (created by Catholic Charities Galveston Houston)
Check out these additional resources created by RSIG grantees.
From 2009-2012, BRYCS served as the national technical assistance provider for Refugee School Impact Grantees, facilitating communication and collaboration among members of the RSIG network. Archived Recordings of Quarterly Teleconferences:
- March 31, 2010 – Bullying (this first call was not recorded, but there are notes)
- May 20, 2010 – Summer Programming
- September 22, 2010 – Welcome Back to School; Operating Under New Announcement; Overview of BRYCS’ Role with RSIG (and additional ORR clarifications)
- December 8, 2010 – Lessons Learned from Refugee School Impact Grantees
- March 7, 2011 – Information on Federal Requirements to Provide Interpretation/Translation in Schools; Discussion with ORR on the Grant (and RSIG FAQs that were clarified on the call)
- May 18, 2011 – Newcomer and summer programming for refugee youth
- August 17, 2011- Back to School Resources, Discussion about Older Youth, and Announcements (the first part of the call was not recorded, so here is the PowerPoint; and ORR clarifications)
- October 6, 2011- BRYCS joint Webinar with the Migration Policy Institute titled “Language Access and Schools: Federal Requirements and School Experiences”
- February 15, 2012 – More Lessons Learned from Refugee School Impact Grantees
- June 27, 2012 – Helping Refugee Youth in High School (“aging out” and alternative pathways to graduation)