ASYNCHRONOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FREE WEBINAR:
We hosted a free webinar on November 10, 2021 on "Educational Experiences of Afghans: Learning from Afghan Refugee Students & Families." It was a facilitated panel discussion that included resettled Afghan refugee students and parents. The recording is here and the PPT is here. Please consider a small donation ($4+ ) to properly pay the panelists for their time by clicking here.
SELF-PACED COURSES:
Have questions about our self-paced courses? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!
Supporting Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth in U.S. Schools: In FY2021, nearly 123,000 unaccompanied immigrant children crossed the Southern border and were in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement - a record number. What brings these youth to the U.S., what happens when they get here, and how do they end up in our classrooms? What type of education, if any, do they receive in ORR custody and how can we support these students when they enroll in our schools? This course is part of English Learner Portal's Cultural Proficiency & Equity Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Understanding the Backgrounds of Refugee Students & Families: While refugees are typically a small percentage of English Learners in U.S. schools, those that we do have often have complex backgrounds and needs. Do you have students from Afghanistan, Congo, Bhutan/Nepal, Burma, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, or other war-torn countries? If so, this training is for you! This course provides valuable information on how you can support your refugee students and families as they integrate and adjust to the U.S. overall, and specifically with education. This course is part of English Learner Portal's Cultural Proficiency & Equity Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Immigrant Family & Community Engagement in Schools (Part 1): Parent involvement - or what we now call family engagement - is increasingly being used as a strategy to support student achievement and to close opportunity gaps. Join us to learn about best practices for engaging the immigrant, refugee, and English Learner families in your school or district! This course is the first of 3 for English Learner Portal's Family Engagement Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Immigrant Family & Community Engagement in Schools (Part 2): Parent involvement - or what we now call family engagement - is increasingly being used as a strategy to support student achievement and to close opportunity gaps. Join us to learn about best practices for engaging the immigrant, refugee, and English Learner families in your school or district! This course is Part 2 of 3 of English Learner Portal's Family Engagement Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Cultivating Leadership Skills Among Immigrant & English Learner Parents: During this course we discuss programs and strategies for cultivating leadership skills among refugee and immigrant parents for engaging in decision-making and advocacy at the school and district levels. This is Part 3 of 3 of the Parent Engagement Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Click here to enroll in the full Family Engagement Pathway.
• Automatic enrollment in all 3 courses noted above
• 15-hours of courses, self-paced
Engaging Immigrant and EL Families in a Virtual World: There’s no doubt that COVID-19 school closures redefined relationships between families and schools. Even after we returned to school, some family engagement has remained virtual. We need to continue to build strong partnerships with parents and caregivers, particularly with our immigrant and EL families, and we need the skills and resources to do so. This training is for teachers, counselors, parent liaisons, and anyone else looking for strategies to support their work in this area. This course is part of English Learner Portal's Online Learning Pathway. The next section of this 5-hour self-paced training begins March 20, 2023 and goes until June 30, 2023. Click here to register.
Building Relationships with Immigrant Communities through Local Cultural Immersion: Want to immerse yourself in another culture or language? Not able to travel abroad? Then this 5 week course is for you! Requires at least 25 individuals per district or community. If you are in the DC/MD/VA or Cleveland (Ohio) areas, this can also be facilitated face-to-face. Graduate credit available (1). A shorter, one day version of this in-person professional development is also available (see here for an example) with at least 6 weeks notice for co-planning with immigrant community leaders. Contact laura@immigrantsrefugeesandschools.org for more information.
Note: We partner with English Learner Portal and University of Massachusetts Global for much of our online professional development in order to offer graduate credit.
