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Reaching for a Positive Future for Refugees

The REACH initiative will spur collaborative research, education, and action in settings of migration and displacement.
Peruvian student at desk reading
A young Peruvian boy practices his reading and writing.
Photo: REACH/Elizabeth Adelman

A new initiative to spur collaborative action on one of the most critical issues of our time — how to welcome and build hopeful, productive futures for the world’s refugees — launches today at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The REACH initiative is directed by Associate Professor Sarah Dryden-Peterson, who announced the launch to coincide with the Global Refugee Forum taking place in Geneva today and tomorrow (December 17 and 18, 2019).

REACH will work to foster welcoming communities and high-quality education in settings of migration and displacement, according to its new website. “We believe this mission is a collective responsibility,” says Dryden Peterson. “My hope is that by working to bring together individuals, communities, and institutions, we will be able to realize this mission.”

The Global Refugee Forum attracts nation-states, international agencies, civil society organizations, and individuals who are seeking to give action to the idea of global responsibility-sharing to meet the needs of refugees. “In our work globally, education emerges as the number one priority for refugee young people and their families as a way to create opportunities and build futures,” says Dryden-Peterson. “REACH is part of our contribution to the global endeavor to ensure that all young people in settings of migration and displacement have access to quality and inclusive education and to welcoming communities."

REACH will collaborate with teachers, students, civil society organizations, governments, international agencies, and other researchers, promoting conversations and the sharing of resources toward these goals. The website offers guidance and resources on key topics in education, migration, and displacement for educators, policymakers, and researchers.

Visitors can follow on Twitter and Facebook and also sign up for a newsletter for new research, policy pieces, and curricula.

In 2020, REACH will kick off a series called Refugee ROUNDS — virtual, research-based discussions centered on collective challenges of policy and practice in refugee education.

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