WE HAVE A NEW NAME 🎉 + WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING
Over the past few months, we’ve been putting together a new brand that reflects our mission: to empower a community of refugees and civil society organisations to shape and lead programmes that support refugees in accessing university. As well as re-branding, we’ve been busy shaping our new programming alongside refugees. Visit our new website www.mosaik.ngo and sign up to our newsletter.
Our current focus is on developing and implementing programmes that prepare refugees to access local universities, online courses or international scholarships. Activities focus on three areas: language and academic skills; guidance and support; and finance.
Some of this programming has already begun in Lebanon and Jordan…………
ENGLISH UNPLUGGED
Based on dialogic methods, drawing on the ‘Teaching Unplugged’ approach (Thornbury and Meddings, 2009), our classes offer extensive speaking practice through student-led topics and objectives, ensuring content is contextually relevant. Students are also given access to the Busuu app to allow for flexible independent study and conversation practice. The class currently runs in Amman for 30 refugees, and we are planning to scale up and replicate the approach across Jordan and Lebanon.
GUIDANCE WORKSHOPS
Along with a team of superb volunteer content experts and instructional designers, we’ve developed guidance workshop programme. Structured over a series of six blended workshops, participants receive training to plan their post-secondary education options, how to research and evaluate options, and key skills for completing applications. Last month we piloted the workshops at two centres in Jordan, Jesuit Refugee Service and Souriyat Across Borders, and we plan to start full delivery in early 2019.
PEER ADVICE
Our ‘Dardachat’ Facebook page is now hosting Facebook Live events, videos and podcasts, reaching 1000s of viewers. All content is planned alongside our excellent team of Student Ambassadors. They then identify and support refugee students to produce peer advice and support. Topics include top 5 factors to consider when applying to scholarships, understanding standardised tests, and using mindfulness to combat stress.
