After School Science for Refugee Communities

The Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME), the Sudanese Community in Utah (SCUT), the Refugee Services Office (RSO), the Refugee and Immigrant Center at Asian Association of Utah (RIC), Bhutanese Community in Utah (BCU) and Calvary Baptist Church have entered into a partnership to develop Refugee After-school Science Program, that provides a family approach with science and math enrichment programs. This program also provides academic tutoring, home visits to the families, and social services to those in need.

The CSME’s roles are to provide

• Engaging and accessible science and math opportunities to the youth through after-school programs and Saturday Science Camps;
• Scientific programs that inform young people about science, its importance and excitement, and the personal and professional satisfaction that can be derived from it;
• Access to after-school programs with graduate students that help these youth with their homework.

Currently, there are two sites for after-school programs: 1) the Refugee and Immigrant Center (RIC) at Asian Association of Utah (155 S 300 W) and 2) the Calvary Baptist Church (1090 S State Street).

One thing we teach at our after school program is conflict resolution. Here's a short video showing one of the classes in action.

After School Program at RIC

The program at the RIC is known as "Leaders and Counselors in Training” (LCIT). Its purpose is to identify and train future leaders of different ethnic communities by providing them with opportunities to build leadership, employment, and character skills. Read more about LCIT.

Weekly classes are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tuesdays (5:00 p.m.-7:00 pm) are dedicated to enhancing student knowledge base, skills, and, academic tutoring, based upon individual needs. Classes on Wednesdays (5:30 pm to 7:30 pm) present Professional Counseling Speakers, Scientist, and Youth and Family Specialist address, social issues, academic, and other issues of youth concerns. Many students use strategies focused on intellectual engagement through complex reality-based problems, games, puzzles or activities have the effect of drawing them into their own learning, leading to success in class work. Thus, these sessions will be based on a mentoring approach.

In addition to weekly meetings, there will be four hours of outdoor recreational activities twice a month: every first and third Saturday of the month. Finally, there will be home visits, where Youth and Family Specialist and community leaders inform families and their children about careers in teaching math and science.

The program currently serves about 40 youth ranging from 13 to 18 in age, with participants from Bhutan, Nepal, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi and Tanzania. It is financially supported by RIC, and SCUT.

After School Program at Calvary Baptist Church

This after school program is called as "Refugee Youth Transitional Education Program" (RYTEP). The primary purposes of this program are to help refugee youth improve academically, experience better transitions into the Utah school system, and expand their educational interests.

Students that come should bring their homework and school assignments because they will receive tutoring help from staff and volunteers. Youth can also use RYTEP as personal study time. More than just school work, tutors will strive to help newer refugee youths make the transition to Utah’s school system by teaching these students skills and information they need to function in their new environment. For example, many students may need English or general literacy tutoring. Making these big adjustments can be hard, and mentors can be life-changing.

Classes will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays (5:00 pm-8:00 pm), and Saturday mornings (10:00 am-12:00 pm) during the academic year. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for homework and school assignments help, and Saturdays will be a rotating workshop day. Students who require extensive ESL or homework assistance will work closely with the Academic Leaders, while other students will participate in various activity workshops, based on activities facilitated by visiting scholars.

The RYTEP will only work with students from the three closest High Schools with the largest refugee populations: West High School, East High School, and Olympus High School. The target start date is Tuesday, March 6, 2012, and the program will run until Thursday, December 20th. RYTEP is supported by DWS/RSO, and administered in 2012 by the Bhutanese Community in Utah (BCU).

For further information about this program, please contact:

Tino Nyawelo, PhD Physicists
Center for Science & Mathematics Education, University of Utah
155 South 1400 East, Rm 108 (JWB)
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
E-mail: nyawelo@math.utah.edu

Links to our partner's websites

Sudanese Community in Utah: http://www.thescut.org/
Refugee Services Office: http://refugee.utah.gov/
Asian Association of Utah: http://www.aau-slc.org/
Bhutanese Community in Utah: http://www.thebcu.org/