British Engagement Project for Displaced Mothers

COMMUNITY PROJECT

 

Eradicating barriers for the highly educated mothers of displaced families

Period

11/02/2022 – 03/01/2023

Project type

Community

Funding Organisation

TNL Community Fund

Budget

£9,000.00

Venue

Birkbeck University, London

Participants

Instructors

Contact hours

British Engagement Project for Displaced Mothers

This project aimed to eradicate barriers for the highly educated mothers of displaced families in gaining knowledge, experience and opportunities by creating a bespoke programme of educational and career-advancing activities to integrate these mothers into the British job market.

The workshop series, funded by the Lottery Community Fund, attempted to positively impact the highly-skilled displaced mothers by promoting their contributions to society, both economically and socially.

Dr Helen Hanna is a Lecturer in International Education at the University of Manchester and she led the group.

Guest speakers for the workshop series included: Katie Russel, CEO of a charity called SARSVL, talked about working and volunteering as a women in the charity sector. Shammy Ahmed, Support Officer at Enfield Careers Centre, talked about her experiences regarding being a Muslim in the charity sector. Finally, Lachlan Smith, Cloud Chamber, talked about professional social media and networking.

OUTCOMES

Lessons We Learned

University-Level Initiatives

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Leadership and Engagement

  • University leadership should play an active role in advocating for displaced students'
  • Arrange field visits for university leaders and educators to refugee camps to witness the situation firsthand.
  • Foster partnerships with universities and organisations already working in this area.
  • Leverage online platforms for university leadership to advocate for displaced students' education.
  • Foster digital partnerships with universities and organisations experienced in this field.

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Extend Scholarships and Financial Aid

  • Establish endowments to fund scholarships specifically for displaced students and academics.
  • Create flexible tuition payment plans and work-study opportunities.
  • Extend full scholarships to displaced students, offering local fees for local displaced students.
  • Create digital platforms for application and management of endowments and scholarships dedicated to displaced students.

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Establish Dedicated Support Offices

  • Hire staff with training in refugee and displacement issues.
  • Provide services like language training, cultural orientation, and academic mentoring.
  • Conduct workshops on displacement awareness for the university community.
  • Use online platforms to deliver services such as language training, cultural orientation, and academic mentoring.

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Recognize Prior Learning

  • Set up committees to assess the skills, knowledge, and experience of displaced students and academics.
  • Develop pathways for accreditation based on non-traditional evidence of learning.
  • Establish digital committees to assess the skills, knowledge, and experience of displaced people.
  • Use online tools to develop accreditation pathways based on non-traditional evidence of learning.

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Academia and Career Support

  • Provide continuous support through academic advisors and career advisors for displaced students.
  • Support students during the university application and scholarship application process.
  • Encourage scholarship recipients to share their knowledge with potential applicants.
  • Leverage digital platforms to guide students during the university and scholarship application process.

Community Integration Efforts by Displaced Individuals

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Access University Resources

  • Regularly visit and communicate with the university's dedicated support offices.
  • Actively participate in language classes and cultural orientation activities.

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Sensitivity to Labels

  • Respect individual preferences on how displaced students would like to be identified.

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Participation in Community Activities

  • Engage with academic and social clubs and organizations.
  • Contribute to intellectual discussions and share unique experiences and perspectives.

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Digital Assistance in Community Integration

  • Develop dedicated apps or websites that can provide information about university support offices, language classes, cultural activities, local events / facilities, and academic/social clubs.
  • Build a digital identity respect feature into these platforms, allowing displaced individuals to indicate their preferred identification.

Online Education and Collaborations

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Online Programs for Displaced Students

  • Collaborate with local NGOs to produce online higher education programmes for displaced students.
  • Build strong collaborations with host community institutions and organisations.
  • Adapt the curriculum to local context and ensure it remains relevant.

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Technology and Access

  • Use different communication channels (like Skype, WhatsApp, and email) to keep in touch with students.
  • Provide tablets/laptops, whenever possible, with downloaded content for offline access.
  • Make use of existing online content to save resources.

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Face-to-Face Interactions

  • Begin online courses with face-to-face teaching to build rapport.

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Digital Aid in Online Education and Collaborations

  • Use multiple digital communication channels to keep in touch with displaced people.

Local Support and Coordination

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Peer Support

  • Engage local students to support displaced scholars, fostering a sense of camaraderie.

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Coordination with NGOs / Charities

  • Coordinate efforts with NGOs / charities to ensure wide distribution of opportunities and alignment of research with practice.

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Coordinating Local Support with Digital Platforms

  • Build a peer support network on digital platforms for local and displaced students to connect.
  • Streamline coordination with NGOs / charities through digital tools to ensure widespread access to opportunities.

Mental Health Support

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Offer Robust Mental Health Services

  • Provide counselling services with therapists trained to deal with trauma and displacement.
  • Establish peer support groups, workshops, and programs tailored for displaced individuals.

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Promote Mental Health Awareness

  • Organize seminars and campaigns to raise awareness about mental health issues common in displaced populations.
  • Create an empathetic, stigma-free environment through education and dialogue.

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Encourage Seeking Help

  • Normalize conversations around mental health and the need for seeking support.
  • Ensure privacy and confidentiality to make displaced individuals comfortable accessing services.

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Digital Platforms for Mental Health Support

  • Utilize technology to offer online mental health services, such as video counseling sessions with trained therapists.
  • Develop digital peer support groups and workshops, specifically tailored for displaced individuals.
  • Implement online campaigns to raise mental health awareness and promote a stigma-free digital environment.
  • Use digital platforms to normalize conversations around mental health and encourage displaced individuals to seek help, ensuring privacy and confidentiality in the process.

Location

Birkbeck, University of London