Implementing a summer enrichment program for secondary newcomer students in a New England community

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper is a case study of an English Learner (EL) summer enrichment program that supported English language fluency and comprehension of middle and high school students, many of whom were refugees, immigrants, or newcomers from U.S. territories. In this case, we share how a program can successfully provide an equitable education for newcomer students, whether they are newly settled refugees, unaccompanied youth, asylum seekers or other types of immigrants from around the world. Focusing on how a program for newcomers was designed and implemented to ensure inclusive and asset-based practices, we discuss the findings from document analysis and qualitative data collected at a New England district. We found that education leaders created rich learning environments through inclusive and asset-based curricula, community partnerships, and creative enrichment programming. The Summer Academy’s leaders and educators met newly arriving students where they were in their formal education and prepared them to achieve their educational goals while being newly arrived in the United States. This study provides insight into practices that promote refugee and newcomer students’ education and shares implications for the practices of school and district leaders who serve diverse groups of students who are learning English.