Building Educational Pathways for Refugees: Mapping a Canadian peer-to-peer support model
World University Service of Canada has been mobilizing the Canadian post-secondary community to offer educational pathways for refugees for several decades through the Student Refugee Program (SRP).
The SRP provides a one-of-a-kind partnership opportunity for universities, colleges, and CEGEPs to directly respond to the increasing need for durable solutions and higher education opportunities for refugees. Post-secondary institutions are uniquely placed to build upon their expertise of working with international students to meet the needs of refugee youth, and enhance their employment outcomes after graduation.
Building Educational Pathways for Refugees: Mapping a Canadian peer-to-peer support model presents WUSC’s unique framework for the resettlement, education, and integration of refugee youth through Canada’s post-secondary network. It offers examples of practical considerations that have been informed by over 40 years of experience offering resettlement and post-secondary education opportunities to refugee youth.
This guide is not intended to be a comprehensive tool. Instead, it provides an overview of the key elements relevant in establishing such a program, including the funding of scholarships; the identification of potential students; the coordination of applications and admissions; the coordination of their pre-arrival preparation and resettlement; and the mobilization of students to provide peer-to-peer integration support.
This guide also outlines partnership suggestions at the campus, national, and international levels that are useful in implementing such an initiative. These partnerships ensure adequate post-arrival support to refugee students admitted through the program.
WUSC receives hundreds of applications from refugee youth annually but can only accept a small fraction of these qualified, bright young students. Our hope is for this guide to inspire governments, organizations, and post-secondary communities to learn more and join Canadian institutions in offering new educational pathways in their own countries for refugees.
Read the guide:
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