This desktop guide is the result of a project involving five Victorian schools as part of the Refugee Education Support Program (RESP). RESP is a partnership between the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (Foundation House), the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) and the Department of Education and Training (DET), in collaboration with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and Independent Schools Victoria (ISV).
RESP partners with clusters of schools and relevant community agencies to develop school-based strategies that strengthen the education and wellbeing outcomes of students and families from refugee backgrounds. RESP school networks are established over an 18 month project cycle in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, to implement a whole-school approach to support students and families from refugee backgrounds.
The project established a state-wide partnership group of parents from refugee backgrounds and school staff. The group aimed to improve student educational outcomes by supporting schools to enhance their capacity to engage with parents from refugee backgrounds.
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc. (May 2015). Document name: SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES IN PARTNERSHIP: A Desktop Guide to Engaging Families from Refugee Backgrounds in their Children's Learning.