Listening to Refugees: Engaging with Arizona Refugee Communities
Joe Lockard, Associate Professor, English Department
Doris Warriner, Associate Professor, English Department
Barbara Klimek, Associate Professor, School of Social Work; Director, Office of Global Social Work
English-learning represents a central need for refugee integration into US society and is an area where ASU has substantial expertise. However, ASU faculty need to listen closely to refugee communities in order to better understand their experiences, present situation, and how to shape educational opportunity to meet specific communal needs. This research cluster will bring refugee community representatives and activists to ASU in order to learn educational, cultural, and economic situations. Following several meetings between English department and School of Social Work faculty during the Spring 2016 semester, participants plan to test a new model in Fall 2016 in cooperation with two community organizations (Iraqi-American Society for Peace and Friendship, and the Somali-American United Council of Arizona). This model relies on an integration of TESL teachers and social workers in-training.
Overall, the research cluster's work will help shape mutual goals and expectations; launch the refugee English school; and provide a foundation for community-based grant applications.