Dear Educators:
Many of you have newcomers from Afghanistan joining your schools and classes. MASFEC is compiling a list of resources that may be useful. The list is under construction; we will add to it as more information becomes available. Let us know if you have resources to share as well!
Welcoming Newcomers
Background Information
Family Engagement
- 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.
Tools & Resources
- Toolkit: Supporting Afghan Students in Schools & Youth Programs in the United States – A Toolkit that helps teachers to develop a understanding of newly arrived Afghan student and their families including Afghan educational systems, possible educational experiences and challenges.
- Afghan Children Read – This site provides 330 books in Dari and Pashto for early grades.
- English-Dari and English-Pashto flashcards – These flashcards show how to pronounce English words phonetically in Dari/Pashto and vice versa. For Afghan evacuees now in the US, the flashcards are relevant for caregivers to learn along with their children as well.
- Registering and Enrolling Refugee and Immigrant Students in Secondary Schools – In case you missed it, the recording from OELA’s recent webinar on registering and enrolling newcomer students is now available. Panelists discussed best practices and resources for facilitating refugee and immigrant students’ transition into U.S. schools, including scheduling considerations, academic evaluations, and options for newcomer students who arrive without academic credentials or do not meet state academic requirements.
Trauma
Many newcomer or refugee students and their families have experienced trauma, either in their country of origin or during their transition to the United States. Below are some resources to help schools and school personnel be more trauma-informed in working with newcomers.
- Helping Traumatized Children Learn, by the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative
- Understanding Refugee Trauma: For School Personnel, by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Being Culturally and Trauma-Informed while Assisting Displaced Afghan Families