By the start of 2018, 25 million refugees fled across international borders to seek protection. Over half of these refugees are under the age of 18. Little rigorous evidence exists on strategies to promote refugee children’s academic learning and socio-emotional development. What role can universities play in helping to close this critical gap in evidence? This panel describes the state of education for refugee children broadly, zeros in on the conditions of refugee children in Lebanon and Niger, and summarizes insights evaluating innovative strategies to promote the academic learning and social-emotional development of the children.

 

J. Lawrence Aber, Willner Family Professor of Psychology and Public Policy and University Professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, NYU