Buford Middle School , Charlottesville VA
Attend a summer program at the New Arrivals Institute in Greensboro, NC to work with refugee youth while developing culturally responsive teaching strategies, and visit Washington, D.C., museums on refugee histories to inform a professional development workshop and instructional scrapbook that will enrich learning and foster inclusivity across the school community.
“I led a student group focused on goal setting, where students identified personal and academic goals, created action plans, and reflected on their progress.”
At the Holocaust Museum in D.C., learning about the experiences of refugees and the resilience of those who faced unimaginable adversity
Every quote captures a new perspective, deepening my understanding of resilience and loss.
First day at the New Arrivals Institute! Can’t wait to dive into this experience.
A week of purposeful projects that strengthened relationships and created lasting memories.
A cultural experience I will cherish forever and never forget.
My fellowship deepened my understanding of refugee experiences and gave me strategies for supporting multilingual learners. It filled my gap in cultural competence and helped address my students’ gaps in background knowledge and literacy. This opportunity was vital to connect curriculum to lived refugee stories, bridge language barriers, and affirm my students’ identities through storytelling and scrap booking.
My teaching will evolve to be more culturally responsive, integrating storytelling, scrapbooking, and refugee narratives into lessons. Students will learn differently by engaging with authentic stories, building empathy, and seeing their own identities reflected in classwork. Lessons will move beyond text to include artifacts, voices, and creative expression that make complex themes accessible to multilingual learners.
Unexpectedly, I developed strong relationships with refugee youth and families at SLAMM, who shared personal stories that reshaped how I view resilience and identity. I also discovered the power of art and music as tools for healing and literacy. These unplanned experiences reinforced the importance of slowing down instruction to build context, honor diverse voices, and create safe spaces for self-expression.
Students will learn differently by exploring authentic refugee narratives through scrapbooks, museum artifacts, and storytelling projects. They will engage in activities that build both empathy and literacy, making difficult texts like Refugee more accessible. My new skills will allow me to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, ensuring students not only comprehend material but also see themselves in the curriculum.
Students will create their own autobiographical scrapbooks, pairing writing with images and artifacts to tell their personal stories. They will analyze excerpts from refugee narratives, compare historical and contemporary experiences, and connect these to the novel Refugee. They will also participate in classroom projects and discussions inspired by museum visits, building context for global and local refugee issues.
Beyond my classroom, I will lead a professional development workshop on culturally responsive teaching for colleagues, sharing strategies and student work. The instructional scrapbook resource will be used across grade levels. Families and the broader community will be engaged through student showcases of scrapbooks and stories, building empathy, pride, and stronger connections between refugee students, peers, and the school community.