Home Page News Section Media Section Become a Member employment Contact us
 
 
 
 

NEW RESOURCES

Engaging Refugee Parents in School Communities

This new resource is currently being developed to assist schools to engage parents from refugee backgrounds in the school. This ‘how to do it’ training manual will outline a 4 week x 2 hour program developed by St Albans Primary School and elders and leaders from the South Sudanese community with support from Foundation House. The program aimed to share information about the Sudanese and Australian education systems whilst encouraging and empowering parents to become involved with their child’s education.

This resource will be available from the Publications page from early 2008.

Klassroom Kaleidoscope

This ten lesson unit is adapted from the Kaleidoscope Program for the mainstream classroom. Suitable for years 7 – 9 , the unit is designed to increase students’ understanding of their own cultural background and the diversity of other cultural backgrounds in their classroom. The activities explore identity issues, promote an understanding of emotions and their influences on health and help develop trust and belonging through inclusive teaching approaches.

Curriculum and assessment links can be made to the Key Learning Area of Health and Physical Education, National Goals for Schooling and Civics and Citizenship.

This resource is available from the Publications page.

Foundation House has a long history of working in schools to enhance the emotional health and wellbeing and educational outcomes of their refugee students. The work includes individual counselling, group work with students and parents, assisting school communities to promote a supportive school environment for refugee students and their families and professional development for school administrators, teachers and school support staff. Training can be based on Foundation House programs or tailored to individual school needs.

Foundation House has developed a range of school resources drawing on its experience in working in partnership with schools. Most of these resources can be downloaded from our Publications page once a person's email details are registered.

Whole school initiatives

Schools are encouraged to examine their policies and practices and build on existing strategies to increase support for refugee students and their families.

Available resources:
School's In for Refugees – Whole School Guide to Refugee Readiness (2004)
Education and Refugee Students from Southern Sudan (2005)

Early intervention programs

Small group programs have been developed for students from refugee and other culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds soon after their arrival in Australia. They aim to make a positive contribution to settlement for these students.

The programs can be delivered by teachers and school welfare staff with the support of a Foundation House worker. Programs can be varied to suit the particular needs of students following consultation between the school and Foundation House.

Available resources:
The Rainbow Program for Children in Refugee Families (2002)
Kaleidoscope program which can be found in A Guide to Working with Young People who are Refugees (1996 & 2000)

Classroom programs

Foundation House has developed resources for mainstream and ESL classrooms which have links to the Key Learning Areas of Studies of Society and Environment, Health and Physical Education and to the National Goals for Schooling and Civics and Citizenship

Available resources:
Taking Action – Human Rights and Refugee Issues Teaching Resource (2005)
HealthWize – Health Literacy Teaching Resources for Refugee and Other ESL Students (2004)

To download all of these resources and more, please visit the Publications page of this website.

Print Button
 

School NEWS

Training for a Whole School Approach

This training is for teachers, decision makers, school support staff and those who work with schools to support young people from refugee backgrounds. For more details and to register click on more.

School's In for Refugees - Edition 4 December 2007 Newsletter now available

The School’s In for Refugees Newsletter is produced twice a year and includes information on training opportunities, ESL and multicultural resources, and good practice models.

Would you like more on-line information regarding support for refugee background students in schools?

Follow this link to a web resource produced by the Refugee Education Partnership Project, Support in schools for refugee students

Article in Migration Action

The first edition of Migration Action this year focused on young refugees in Australia and has a number of interesting articles in it, including one on 'School's In for Refugees'. Follow the link below for a pdf version of the article.
If you would like a copy of Migration Action, Vol XXX, number 1, 2007 Young Refugees in Australia: It's a Long Road to Settlement, email emc@bsl.org.au