Thirteenth International Summer School on Mind, Brain and Education
2018 October 16–20
Migrants and Refugees in the 21st Century: Children in and out of schools
Directors of the School:
Kurt W. Fischer, Antonio M. Battro and Sebastián J. Lipina
Director of the Course: Marcelo Suárez Orozco
Program Officer of the School: Lula Majdalani
UCLA (USA)
Adam Strom is the Director of Re-Imagining Migration, an organization whose mission is to ensure that all young people grow up understanding migration as a fundamental characteristic of the human condition, in order to develop the knowledge, empathy and mindsets that sustain inclusive and welcoming communities. The educational resources developed under Strom’s direction have been used in tens of thousands of classrooms and experienced by millions of students around the world including Stories of Identity: Religion, Migration, and Belonging in a Changing World and What Do We Do with a Difference? France and The Debate Over Headscarves in Schools, Identity, and Belonging in a Changing Great Britain, and the viewer’s guide to I Learn America. Before joining helping to found Re-Imagining Migration, Strom was the Director of Scholarship and Innovation at Facing History and Ourselves.
Engaging all learners
The global refugee crisis, and the failure of the international community to reach consensus on effective ways to respond is emblematic of larger challenges individuals, communities, and nations face in response to the civic dilemmas associated with migration. While many of the discussions about educational interventions in this current moment focus on the education of the refugee communities and migrant youth, both short and long-term solutions require reimagining education for all young people. Despite increasing numbers of displaced and migrant-youth, and the difficult circumstances they face, many adults that serve them do not understand them or feel ill-prepared to serve their needs. Moreover, prevalent xenophobia, stereotypes, and myths about migrants has found its way into mainstream political discourse around the world, making civil deliberation about issues related to migration difficult. Research in the United States demonstrating the negative effects of political polarization on the social and emotional well-being and academic achievement of all students can serve as a warning that schools do not exist in isolation from the larger world. Therefore, solutions to the issues associated with the refugees, migrants, and immigrants, must involve engaging all learners.