Need for the Project
More than 3,300 Ukrainian and other non-Ukrainian families have been displaced from Ukraine and are settling in Ohio. Many Ukrainian refugees are not arriving through resettlement agencies, but through private sponsors. Yet, they are likely to request assistance with school enrollment, etc. At present, there is a lack of capacity, communication, and coherence across Ohio’s Educational Regional System of Support to plan, deliver, and monitor the services that will ensure the well-being of every child.
Project Goal
Establish systems, policies and procedures and networked learning communities in alignment to state priorities and OESCA’s legislative platform for ESCs to assist school districts in responding effectively to the needs of Ukrainian populations and other non-Ukrainian individuals displaced from Ukraine by:
1. Providing specialized services and support
2. Supporting families learning to navigate the U.S. education system,
3. Building capacity for school staff and systems through activities and resources
Project Scope
The purpose of the Ukrainian Refugee School Impact Supplement services (URSI) program is to promote effective integration, academic achievement, social adjustment, and successful school integration to newly arrived Ukraine families who have young children ages 0-18. URSI services are limited to the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (AUSAA)-eligible children between the ages of 0-18. Youth older than eighteen (18) are eligible if they are enrolled in high school or a high school equivalent GED program. While URSI programming is limited to AUSAA-eligible participants, its benefits and services are the same as those under traditional Refugee School Impact (RSI) program, and it is governed by the RSI guidance delineated in ORR PL 22-07 RSI Program.
A Co-Design Team from Ohio's ESC network will research, inventory and map statewide capacity to support Ukrainian and other refugees and prioritize the need for a uniform set of tools, resources, and supports accessible by any ESC needing to support a refugee population.
Trainers and facilitators will facilitate regional face-to-face and online training sessions and co-facilitate Networked Learning Community meetings for refugee service providers.
Desired Project Outcomes
[URSI Grant Deliverables]
- Provide specialized services and support
- Support families learning to navigate the US education system.
- Build capacity for school staff and systems through activities and resources