PROGRAM
C.A.R.E
PROGRAM
Refugees and JMU Students Benefitting from C.A.R.E
Each year, Harrisonburg welcomes 200 men, women, and children who have fled their countries because they fear death or persecution due to their race, religion, or political views. Our Harrisonburg City schools serve these culturally, linguistically, religiously, and socioeconomically diverse families from Syria, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burma, Congo, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, etc. Most of these children have had their schooling interrupted due to their 1-2 year (and longer) wait in refugee camps prior to coming to Harrisonburg. As such, many of the children fall behind or struggle when they come to our schools due to this interruption and because they need to learn English while adjusting to their new community and life in the United States. These students need more opportunities, support, and enrichment in the areas of English language and literacy (reading, writing, and speaking).
While the refugee community and JMU teacher education students share a zip code, there are few opportunities for meaningful interactions or relationships to develop. Despite providing diverse practicum opportunities, classes on diversity and opportunities to work with all families, most JMU education students report feeling anxious and ill-prepared to work with families and students who are cultural, linguistically, religiously, and socioeconomically diverse.
Students’ fears about language barriers, unfamiliar customs, and stereotypes strongly influence where they will teach, who they want to teach, what they will teach, and with whom they will build authentic partnerships in support of educating all children and families. Refugee families, in particular, comprise a culturally, religiously, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse population that will help JMU education students to cultivate a broader understanding of our globalized world and the interconnectedness of our local community. JMU pre-service teachers desperately need to be supported and supportive learning opportunities to teach diverse students before leaving JMU in order to mitigate fears, hone strategies, teach English Language Learners, and work alongside diverse families in the ‘Burg and beyond