Abstract
Refugee access to higher education is devastatingly low. Recognizing the complex barriers facing refugee learners, global educational initiatives are innovating flexible learning models which promote blended online and in-person learning modalities. This article describes the implementation of a five month, online-based internship pilot offered to 21 refugee participants in qualitative and quantitative research methods, through a participatory action research (PAR) framework in five different countries -- Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, and Lebanon. The internship is part of the Global Education Movement (GEM), which brings refugees accredited online college degree and career development opportunities. Through direct engagement, observation of the internship and feedback from staff and participants, we highlight the ways in which the PAR model can serve as a dynamic learning approach to engage refugees in research practice and an evaluative tool of the GEM program. While the use of online learning presented several clear advantages, such as engaging multiple GEM sites simultaneously or insulating students from delayed studies due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it also revealed variations in student competencies across program sites. In this article, we review the GEM PAR internship, its lessons learned and propose recommendations for future programming.
Highlights
Only three percent (3%) of refugees have access to higher education
As a reminder and in keeping with the elements of participatory action research, the interns were actively involved with analyzing the data, deciding which ‘stories’ to tell from the findings, and presenting those findings
Even as connected learning initiatives play a crucial role in expanding higher education opportunities and employment pathways for refugee learners, it is not without its challenges (Bauer et al, 2020; Bolon et al, 2020; Crea 2016; Dahya et al, 2016)
Summary
Only three percent (3%) of refugees have access to higher education. Even as the rate of enrollment has improved from one percent (1%) since 2018, the results still pale in comparison to the global rate of higher education enrollment at 37% (UNHCR 2019). While global initiatives and international agreements, like the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees or the 2019 Global Framework for Refugee Education call attention to this gap by pledging to ensure “an inclusive and equitable quality education” for all, there still remains work to be done to sufficiently address refugee barriers (UNHCR 2018) This includes raising completion rates and helping refugee graduates find suitable employment (Crea et al, 2015, Crea 2016., Crea et al, 2017; Reinhardt et al, 2018). What is promising is the growth in partnerships between local host communities, the private sector and academic institutions, which are paving the way for innovative solutions to fill this gap (Al-Husban et al, 2020) These consist of flexible or connected learning approaches that combine online and in-person teaching with mentoring and internship programs. We present the internship’s approach and process and conclude with a discussion of its key findings, and recommendations for refugees and practitioners in the field
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