Engaging Parents and Families

Disclaimer

U.S. Department of Education Newcomer Toolkit
This resource provides information on topics relevant to understanding, supporting, and engaging newcomer students and their families. The toolkit provides tools, strategies, examples of classroom and school wide practices, and professional learning tools that will help educators create a welcoming and supportive environment for newcomer students.

How Schools Can Partner with Afghan Refugee Families.
The resources compiled on this page provide recommendations to educators on how schools can partner with Afghan refugee families who will be arriving to the U.S. in the coming months. The resource provides links to information about Afghan refugees and communities as well as to refugee support resources from school districts.

Welcoming Newcomer Afghan Students and Families
This Padlet, produced by the Refugee Educator Academy at the Center for Learning in Practice, contains information on the resettlement process, creating welcoming schools, language and culture resources, and news. In addition, there are links to upcoming trainings offered through the Refugee Educator Academy.

Successfully Communicating with Multilingual Families
The National Association of Secondary School Principals describes three success stories from districts that have successfully built partnerships between schools and families to support English learners. The Brockton Public School District created strong networks to provide multilingual health services and support. Douglas County, Colorado uses Talking Points, a translation texting app that facilitates communication with multilingual families. In Roseville, Minnesota, the English Learner Program Administrator created a series of multilingual and cultural Facebook pages as well as hosted Facebook Live sessions. Finally, in Austin, Texas, the school district is relying on refugee family liaisons to build relationships with Afghans.

Educational Experiences of Afghans: Learning from Afghan Refugee Students and Families
Hosted by Immigrant Connections, this webinar shares the stories and voices of Afghans who were resettled in the last two to four years as well as provides information to help the audience understand the Afghan education system.

Welcome to the Neighborhood Webinar Series
The U.S. Department of Education presented at the Welcome to the Neighborhood webinar series on January 19, 2022, in partnership with DHS/FEMA and HHS Centers for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in support of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Representatives from Dearborn, Minneapolis, and San Juan Unified Schools shared best practices to support Afghan newcomers in schools. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education distributed resources to assist faith-based and community partners as they keep the promise to our Afghan newcomers.

Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services
This organization aims to strengthen the capacity of refugee-serving and mainstream organizations across the U.S. to empower and ensure the successful development of refugee children, youth, and their families.  In providing technical assistance and maintaining the nation’s largest online collection of resources related to refugee and immigrant children and families, BRYCS increases public awareness and facilitates knowledge building, information sharing, and collaboration among a diverse group of service providers including child welfare, schools, refugee resettlement agencies, and ethnic and community-based organizations.



   
Last Modified: 03/21/2022