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Refugee Resources
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Information about Syrian refugees
- Population
Profile: Syrian Refugees: This document, prepared by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, provides information on demographic characteristics and cultural considerations of Syrian refugees. They recommend that teachers use discretion in how they
“stereotype” the people from Syria coming to Canada, noting that “people can be offended by even the best intended-to-be-helpful statements, which can be seen as biased and over-simplified.”
Books about refugees in the school system
- From Bombs to Books: The remarkable stories of refugee children and their families at an exceptional Canadian school (David Starr, James Lorimer & Company, Ltd. Toronto, 2011).
Workshops
- Kris Hull, a teacher at the ELL Welcome Centre, offers workshops for teacher working with refugee children. His workshop PowerPoint can be found here. To book a workshop, please contact the Surrey School District ELL Welcome Centre at 604-543-3060.
Campaigns
- Refugees Welcome Here: The Canadian Council for Refugees, a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of refugees, is working
on a public awareness campaign with Amnesty International Canada to make Canada a more welcoming place for refugees. Sign up for information updates and to request resources.
Resources for teachers
Culture Shock for Refugees: Starting a conversation among
people moving out of need not out of choice
A useful document about culture shock created by Chris Carrier. This booklet helps newcomers identify some of the symptoms of culture shock and identifies strategies to help respond to it. An Arabic
version will be posted soon.
- Teaching Refugees: PowerPoint
presentation
This presentation was developed by Kris Hull, a teacher at Surrey School District English Language Learners’ Welcome Centre. The PowerPoint contains facts about refugees around the world, some of the challenges resettled refugees
may face in Canadian schools, and suggestions for supporting these students in the classroom.
- Helpful Resources for Teaching
Students of Refugee and Trauma Backgrounds
This resource was designed by Kris Hull to accompany his PowerPoint presentation, Teaching Refugees. It lists a variety of resources for teachers, including videos, print resources, and websites.
The document also includes teaching strategies, a description of the four stages of culture shock, and a list of resource books.
Picture books
This resource, developed by Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, provides a list of picture books and
read-aloud books addressing refugee issues for teachers to use in the classroom.
- Welcome Home: A resource kit for unions and
labour councils
This Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) document describes labour councils' role in supporting refugees and provides helpful tips on how to become involved. Available in English and French.
Stepping up to
Support Refugee Students
In this article, on page 12 of the January/February 2016 Teacher Magazine, teachers and Immigrant Service Providers from the Lower Mainland offer advice on how teachers can support students who arrive as refugees.
- Refugees Welcome Special Edition Newsletter
The Refugees Welcome Special
Edition Newsletter was developed by the members of the Surrey Teachers’ Association International Solidarity Committee. This newsletter contains a number of resources to help teachers welcome and support refugees into their classrooms.
- Teacher Support for Refugee Children in Canada
An orientation and useful
first steps for receiving refugee children into regular classrooms. It provides useful suggestions to help teachers support refugee students as they integrate into the classroom. We wish to thank Chris Carrier for sharing this resource with BC
teachers.
Students from
Refugee Backgrounds: A guide for teachers and schools
This resource, created by the BC Ministry of Education, was developed to support teachers and school staff in supporting students who arrived as refugees and their families.
Promising Practices of Early Childhood Education for Immigrant
and Refugee Children in British Columbia
Produced by the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC, this document outlines best practices used by early childhood educators in supporting immigrant and refugee children.
- Books to help kids understand what it’s like to be a refugee
Lesson plans
The following lesson plans are available to download for free on the Critical Consortium website:
Websites
Teachers share their resources
What are you doing in your classroom to support students who arrived as refugees? If you have resources, lesson plans, or links to websites that BC teachers may find useful, please send them to bryeburn@bctf.ca.