With the ongoing war in Ukraine, there are numerous organisations in my area working with refugees including St. Vincent de Paul, Irish Red Cross and Doras to name just a few.
Schools can do many things to help welcome refugees to the community but educating young children is the first step. We could organize workshops or guest speakers to educate our students about the experiences and challenges faced by refugees. By promoting understanding and breaking down stereotypes, we can cultivate an environment of empathy and compassion. One novel my 6th class read this year was “The Boy at the Back of the Class”. This opened up lots of discussion on refugees and highlighted different views towards refugees.
Schools could also collaborate with community organisations like those mentioned above that support refugees. Guest speakers from these organisations could help tell true stories about refugees and advise children on how they could welcome refugees to the school community.