Integrate the Refugee Conference into your course

Thinking of integrating the Idaho Conference on Refugees into your course? 

The Idaho Conference on Refugees will be on February 22-23 (Wed/Thurs), 2023 at Boise State University Student Union Building (SUB). We recommend you consider these highlighted workshops.

More conference information can be found on the Idaho Office for Refugees website.

Three options for student involvement 

1. Students attend the conference independently (the highlighted sessions are free, but to attend the main conference, students need to register and request the scholarship option)
2. Attend the conference with your students during your class period
3. Create a class assignment or project related to the conference topics

Tiers of engagement

Choose your level of involvement from one or more of the following:

1. The “What is happening” stage (learn from others’ stories): 

• Awareness: Before the conference, review relevant information about refugees at these links:
  • Resettlement process
  • Resettlement in Idaho
  • What support is offered
  • Read about the refugee experience in Idaho (each chapter can stand alone)
  • The TED talk, Danger of a Single Story or  Shut Up and Listen
  • Video from Liyah Babayanideo, who came to Twin Falls, ID, as a refugee from Azerbaijan.  (16 minutes)
  • Video from Salome Mwangi, a Boise community member from Kenya, about cultural differences and what being a “cultural broker” can mean. (11 minutes)
  • Refugee 101 (who, what, where, when, how– from Idaho Office for Refugees website)
  • Follow local refugee agencies on social media
• Exposure: Attend the conference 
  • Have students submit reflections on their experience – Reach out to CTL staff to customize these questions
  • Have students share their experiences with the class through discussions, writings and other projects. 

2. The “So what” stage (analyze systems, cultures, and policies):

Critical inquiry examples

• Data analysis
  
  • Pose a data analysis question and explain its importance based on your research before the conference or something you saw or heard during the conference.
    
  • Pose a data analysis question related to refugees and carry out the analysis.
• Research
  • Design a research question based on something you learned during your research on refugees and/or your attendance at the conference.
  • Read one research paper on refugees and critically analyze the methods that were used.
• Synthesis paper
  • Carry out a literature review on a specific topic related to refugees (e.g., the resettlement process, housing for refugees, mental health support, English language support). 
  • Synthesize what you learned from two or more sessions at the conference.
• Reflection
  • Pre-conference: As you think about the Idaho Conference on Refugees coming up, what are you most looking forward to? What do you already know about refugees in Idaho? What do you hope to learn? In what ways do you expect to grow from attending this conference?
  • Post-conference: What did you learn from the conference? In what ways were you challenged? How did you grow? In what ways did your thinking shift? 

3. The “Now what” stage (advocacy and action):

• Prepare to work with New Americans:
  • The Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE) 
  • Idaho Office for Refugee – Student Resources 
  • Boise State University Libguides – Working With Refugees
  • Boise State University Service-Learning- Tips for Faculty Partnering with Refugee agencies

To make this a full experiential learning opportunity for students, consider creating an assignment with these items:

1. Clear intentions and purpose for the experience
2. How students should prepare themselves to listen, learn, and engage
3. Reflection questions to deepen their thinking
4. How will they be assessed or know that they have met your expectations?

Want more help or ideas? Fill out the request form