On-Demand Virtual Training
School districts across the country are welcoming a growing number of newcomer students, and educators are being asked to adapt whether or not this is a new trend for their community.
During this training session, immigration experts and educators provided an overview of the current immigration landscape and offered practical tools and strategies to foster a sense of belonging for immigrant students and their families.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about current immigration trends
- Explore the positive contributions immigrant students bring to schools and communities
- Gain strategies for fostering belonging, identity and agency in immigrant and ELL students
Modules
The Impact of Misinformation and Bullying on Immigrant Students
Meisha Lamb-Bell, Program Director, Re-Imagining Migration
Key Concepts:
- Current challenges to immigrant students’ sense of belonging
- A culture of inclusivity benefits immigrant students and supports the entire school community.
- Media literacy helps students critically analyze immigration-related misinformation and its impact on public perception and behaviors.
Check out these resources:
- Recent Immigrant Children: A Profile of New Arrivals to U.S. Schools (Migration Policy Institute)
- The Power of Words: Recognizing and Responding to Anti-Immigrant Stereotypes
(Re-Imagining Migration) - Survey: Immigrant students feel invisible to teachers and peers
(Public News Service)
How To Use Stories From the Past, Present and Personal to Support Immigrant Students
Jessica Lander, Teacher and Author
2023 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year
Key Concepts:
- Incorporating diverse histories, such as Angel Island alongside Ellis Island, will present a fuller picture of migration.
- Including the immigrant perspective in relevant subject areas can help to shift the conversation from “us vs them” to shared experiences.
- You can encourage students to share their family migration stories through writing, art or oral history projects.
Check out these resources:
- Teaching U.S. Immigration series (The Immigrant Learning Center)
- Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Curriculum Guides
- We Are America Project
Suggestions for Teachers on Promoting Immigrant Student Belonging
Meisha Lamb-Bell, Program Director, Re-Imagining Migration
Check out these resources:
- Community Belonging Audit, free login required (Re-Imagining Migration)
- Fostering Bullying: A Guide for addressing bullying against immigrant students, free login required (Re-Imagining Migration)
Panel Discussion
Meisha Lamb-Bell, Program Director, Re-Imagining Migration
Adam Strom, Executive Director, Re-Imagining Migration
Jessica Lander, Teacher and Author
Dr. Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies, George Mason University School of Integrative Studies
Please note: The views expressed by guest presenters are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Immigrant Learning Center.