World Refugee Day is coming up on June 20. Marked in over 100 countries, its goal is to raise awareness and funds to help provide refugees with shelter, food and safety.
There are an estimated 60 million refugees in the world. More than half of them are children. According to the UN, every minute 24 people become refugees who are fleeing war or persecution.
Refugee children in the US face many challenges when adapting to a new life: culture shock, making friends, and learning a new language are just a few. There are educational resources out there to help ease the transition for newcomers, as well as for teachers, administrators and other students.
There are a number of organizations that support children living in refugee camps.
We at Language Lizard had the pleasure of working with volunteers at The School Box Project, an organization that provides trauma-informed care to relieve the effects that years of violence and conflict have had on the children emotionally and physically. They run various programs that include fun, physical games, as well as projects that allow children to sit quietly and create beautiful artwork.
In Greece, volunteers used Arabic-English bilingual books in a refugee camp to engage children in creative art and reading sessions with parents and teachers.
Whether you support a local refugee family, help a newcomer in your school, or donate to a large refugee organization, every act of compassion makes a difference.
Do you have plans to mark World Refugee Day? Comment below and share your experiences.