SHERR is excited to announce the launch of four Communities of Practice and Action (CoPAs) which will meet 7 times from February through December 2024.
The SHERR Communities of Practice and Action combine the premise of a traditional community of practice and a working group, by providing a space to build community and share expertise, as well as by focusing on specific deliverables. They aim to strengthen engagement in refugee resettlement on the part of higher education institutions, with the larger goal of growing and enhancing the domestic capacity for placement of refugees in communities across the United States. Each Community of Practice and Action will be led by an experienced higher education/resettlement practitioner.
Themes of the four Communities of Practice and Action are aligned with engagement pathways identified by SHERR as ways for colleges and universities to support refugee resettlement efforts.
- English Language Learning and Career Pathways Support (Lead Facilitator: Olga Prizhbilov, Los Rios Community College District)
- Housing and Campus Utilization (Lead Facilitator: Dr. Diya Abdo, Every Campus A Refuge)
- Developing Refugee Educational Opportunities: Reducing Barriers to Enrollment (Lead Facilitator: Marina Chakmakchi, University of Southern Maine)
- Service Learning, Volunteer Engagement, and Staffing (Lead Facilitator: Dr. Carina Black, Northern Nevada International Center & University of Nevada Reno)
Current members of the SHERR Communities of Practice and Action include:
- Representatives of higher education institutions (including community colleges, technical & vocational schools, and 4-year colleges and universities) that are or want to be involved in programs around the topic area.
- Representatives of National Resettlement Agencies, local branches or affiliates, and other non-governmental or governmental organizations focused on refugee resettlement, currently collaborating or interested in collaboration with higher education institutions around the specific topic area.
The SHERR Communities of Practice and Action are not accepting new members at this time. To receive email updates about SHERR CoPAs, please email [email protected]. Updates from CoPA sessions are available here:
