Supporting Syrian Students: Related Resources

Addressing Current Events in Syria

If your school is home to students and families from Syria, it's important to approach the current events that are unfolding in the country and region with care and sensitivity. Remember these key tips:

• Keep in mind that students and families may be experiencing a range of emotions and may also be reminded of traumas and hardships they have experienced, as well as the reasons for their displacement. They may also be receiving difficult news updates and navigating uncertainty about the future.
• If you are discussing current events in class, check in with students before these discussions to see if they wish to participate, and if not, consider postponing the discussion or providing your student with other options.
• Never put students on the spot to speak about their own perspective or as a "representative" of a particular country, race, or other identifying characteristic.
• Consider providing students with a private space to share their thoughts, such as a journal.
• Avoid making assumptions about any student's experience or opinions.
• Connect with family liaisons and members of the community to find out more about how families are responding to current events and whether there is a role that the school can play on their behalf, such as providing meeting space or answering questions families might have. Talk with family liaisons and administrators about the kinds of trauma-informed, culturally responsive training that might be appropriate as needed.
• Take time to learn more about the conflict in Syria and Syrian families' experiences over the past several years from the reports, news headlines, and books below.

For related tips, see the following articles:

• Discussing Political Violence with ELLs, Immigrants, and Refugees
• When Your School Community Is Impacted by Global Events

Background Information

• By the Numbers: Syrian Refugees Around the World (Frontline, 2019)
• Spotlight: Syrian Refugees in the U.S. (Migration Policy Institute, 2016)

Refugees in the U.S.

• Key facts about refugees to the U.S. (Pew Research Center)

Reports and Special Projects

Invisible Wounds: The impact of six years of war on the mental health of Syria’s children (2016)

Six years of war in Syria has caused deep psychological scars among many Syrian children, increasing their long-term risk of suicide, heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse, and depression, according to a report released today by Save the Children. Save the Children and its Syrian partners interviewed more than 450 children, adolescents and adults across seven regions in Syria for "Invisible Wounds," the largest and most comprehensive study undertaken inside Syria to examine children’s mental health and well-being.

Sesame Street and the International Rescue Committee Team Up On Behalf of Refugees

Sesame Workshop and the IRC are currently developing a partnership to deliver early learning and social-emotional support to millions of refugee children in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.  You can learn more about the partnership on the Sesame Workshop website, as well as from this NPR story about the work the team is doing to solicit input from "relief organizations, trauma experts, academics, and others who have worked with refugees."

Update: Sesame Street launches TV show for children affected by Syrian civil war (PBS NewsHour)

Classroom Resources and Books

Booklist: Syrian Stories for Children

These books for children, middle grades, and young adults highlight the experiences of Syrian children, with a particular focus on refugees from Syria's civil war and the more general refugee experience. You can also learn more about Syria's folklore and cultural traditions through the titles on the booklist.

Video Project: Supporting Newcomers

We also recommend our video project from Dearborn, Michigan, highlighting the experiences of families displaced from a different conflict, the civil war in Yemen:

• You Are Welcome Here: Supporting the Social and Emotional Health of Newcomer Immigrants

From the Archive: News Headlines

These news stories capture a range of stories and reports related to the civil war in Syria, its impacts, and the experiences of Syrian families who have relocated across the globe.

• This small town, devastated by floods, welcomed Syrian immigrants. They're now paying it back. (The Washington Post)
• Over half a million children in northwest Syria forced to flee amid continued violence and harsh weather (UNICEF)
• In Syria, A School Helps Children Traumatized by War (NPR)
• Bana Alabed, 7-Year-Old Syrian Girl, to Publish Memoir (CNN)
• A Syrian Refugee Cooks Her First Thanksgiving Feast (The New York Times)
• How War and Years of Lost Education Have Devastated Syrian Children — And What Can Be Done to Help (PBS NewsHour)
• 1 in 4 Syrian Children at Risk of Mental Health Disorders, New Report Says (PBS NewsHour)
• For This Syrian Refugee Family, Starting Anew in the U.S. Is a Solitary Struggle (PBS NewsHour)
• For Syrian Refugees in Connecticut, A Helping Hand from Private Volunteers (NPR)
• How One Syrian Family Found a Home in Texas (WBUR)
• American Schools Offer Scholarships for Syrian Students Displaced by War (The Washington Post)
• Middle School Bullies Are Tough. They’re Even Worse If You’re A Syrian Refugee. (The Huffington Post)
• Seattleites Helping Syrian Refugees Here and Overseas (Yakima Herald)
• Syrian Children in Turkey Heal Through Storytelling (PBS NewsHour)
• ‘See you in school!’ Canadian Children Welcome Syrian Refugees (Toronto Star)
• A Teen Who Fled Syria Had High Hopes for Her Life in Lebanon: #15Girls (NPR)
• Malala Yousafzai Celebrates Birthday Opening School for Syrian Refugees (PBS NewsHour)
• UN: Generation of Syrian Children Could Be Lost (The Telegraph)
• In Syria, Not Just Bullets and Bombs Harming Children (NPR)