Supports for Refugee Students/Families in CPS and Chicago

By Maddy Keuten

Research Question: What academic, social, and emotional supports are currently in place to support new refugee students in Chicago Public Schools? What supports are missing and needed to help these students? 

For my research topic of interest, I am interested in the experience refugee students have in Chicago Public Schools and the supports that are in place (and not in place) for them to succeed. I wanted to research this topic because I am currently student teaching in a classroom in a Chicago Public School with refugee students. We have five refugee students in the classroom from Venezuela (and more from other countries) who immigrated to Chicago to escape from difficult political situations in their home country. These students have faced many challenges throughout their immigration experience and have come to the US knowing little about the country and what their lives in Chicago would look like. Since many refugee students enter the country, Chicago, and CPS with all these confusions and knowing little about their new community, I wanted to make a resource for these students and their families that families could use to guide their experiences. I also wanted to research these supports to learn more about the students I have in my classroom and what they most likely were researching when they came to the United States. In this way, the purpose of my final project is two-fold: a desire to understand my refugee students and a desire to help and support them and their families.

 My project started because of the students and their families in my classroom. Therefore, a website was my most desired format because I wanted this project to serve as a resource for these families and students who need it the most. They are the inspiration for why I am doing this project, so I would like to keep them at the center of my project. I also enjoy graphic design and creating my graphic design projects, so a project in this format was the most enjoyable for me to utilize my skills and talents in this art form. The website includes resources from CPS and other organizations in Chicago and is interactive. Feel free to click through the different pages and read about my research and research process! :)

Website Link: https://mkeuten7.wixsite.com/socialjusticeproject</p>