We Are GenAid, a generation for change
This article will provide a detailed overview of the project “GenAid”, including the challenges faced, solutions implemented, and insights gained. The project was initiated as a part of the “Social Issues, Social Innovation and Corporate Responsibility” course offered by the department of Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University. Through the Dare to Challenge program, participants learned to think and act as social impact innovators and global citizens, taking responsibility for creating positive change in their communities and broader society. GenAid, a non-profit organization, was established to reshape the educational system in order to provide quality education to children refugees.
The idea for the project emerged after extensive brainstorming during the early stages of the course. Given that many refugee children lack access to education, let alone quality education, the focus was on reducing educational inequalities. Education plays a crucial role in enabling individuals to contribute significantly to their families and communities in various fields, thereby creating a stable and dynamic community. Moreover, education empowers individuals to form opinions, enhances literacy, and promotes self-reliance and confidence. Educated children have more opportunities to make a difference in their communities.
At the outset of the project, we brainstormed to identify the issue that we would focus on. Given the limited access of most refugee children to education, particularly quality education, we focused on solving this problem to reduce inequality. Education plays a vital role in creating stable and thriving communities as it enables people to contribute meaningfully to society. With education, people become more self-reliant, confident, and capable of forming opinions. Educated children have more opportunities to make a difference in their communities. We used the five-whys problem-solving method to identify the root of the problem and determine our values, which were associated with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After analyzing the 17 SDGs, we decided to concentrate on quality education and reduced inequalities, making them the main goals of our vision. We aimed to create an educational system that includes refugee children and provides them with quality education. As an organization, our mindset is human-centred, with a focus on representation and tangibility.
Having set our foundation in theory, we then took action. Education was chosen as our primary topic, and we defined our audience to create a clearer picture of who we are, who we seek to attract, and potential collaborations and partnerships. We decided to focus on NGOs, governmental agencies, educational and research institutes, and individuals. As an NGO, we conducted a field mapping exercise to gain insight into the work of existing NGOs, such as METAdrasi, Save the Children, and Asha for Education, among others, to identify gaps that we could fill with our organization.
During our journey, we decided to shift our focus from providing primary and secondary education to only primary education. Our decision was based on the understanding that children between the ages of 6 to 12 are still in the process of developing, and it is crucial to provide them with a solid foundation of education during this period. As a human-centred organization, we recognized the importance of appealing to our audience’s emotions to gain their support. To achieve this, we organized a TEDx event to share our mission and views. Additionally, we developed three personas in order to understand fully our audience and whom we are addressing — Ali, an 8-year-old boy from Syria; Fatima, a 10-year-old girl from Afghanistan; and Maria, a 35-year-old teacher from Germany. This helped us to gain a better understanding of the educational and emotional support that refugee children need to overcome their trauma and adapt to their new environment. To gain further insight and knowledge, we also conducted interviews with professionals in the field such as the Hellenic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Piraeus Open School for the Immigrants, Cultural Psychologist Eleni Kyriacou, and Activist Artemis Xeniou.
The interview with miss Xeniou who is an activist, advocating for refugee rights, gave us enlighting information that helped us reimagine what we provide and boosted our ideas for change. We understand that the educational system needs to change but how? What is important and how do we prioritise the needs? After the interview, we realised that changes such as providing language support, cultural sensitivity training for teachers, inclusive curricula that reflect the diverse experiences of refugees, greater access to resources for students and families, and more flexible educational pathways that accommodate the specific needs of refugee students are highly important. Miss Xeniou also advocates that there is a need for greater attention to the emotional and psychological well-being of refugee students, including support for trauma recovery and mental health services.
Furthermore, the results of the interview with miss Kyriakou will be disseminated through a podcast format. The interview was conducted with her, who is a cultural phycologist with extensive experience with refugees, and we are excited to share her insights with a wider audience. The podcast will provide a platform for an in-depth discussion of the topic and will be accessible to a broad range of listeners. We believe that this format will be an effective means of conveying the information gathered through the interview, and will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. The podcast will be made available through a variety of platforms, and we anticipate that it will generate significant interest from both academic and non-academic audiences alike.
After conducting extensive research to gain insight into the needs of the education sector in Greece pertaining to the support of the education and integration of refugees, we developed a plan to facilitate two comprehensive workshops.
Education is a fundamental human right, and every child should have access to it, including refugee children. However, due to the traumatic experiences that many of these children have gone through, they often require additional support to succeed in the classroom. This is where teachers come in. Teachers play a critical role in the education of refugee children, and it is essential that they receive adequate training to effectively support their students.
One of the most significant challenges that teachers face when working with refugee children is the language barrier. Many of these children do not speak the language of the country they have fled to, and this can make it difficult for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. Teachers who have been trained in working with refugee children understand the importance of using visual aids, gestures, and other forms of non-verbal communication to help their students understand. They are also able to use techniques such as peer tutoring and group work to help students learn from one another and build relationships.
Another critical aspect of teacher training for working with refugee children is cultural sensitivity. Many of these children come from cultures that are vastly different from those of their new home countries, and it is essential that teachers understand and respect these differences. Teachers who have received training in cultural sensitivity are better able to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment for their students. They understand the importance of recognizing and valuing diversity, and they are able to incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices into their lessons.
Trauma-informed care is also an essential aspect of training for teachers working with refugee children. Many of these children have experienced significant trauma, including war, displacement, and loss of family members. This trauma can have a profound impact on their ability to learn and succeed in the classroom. Teachers who have been trained in trauma-informed care understand the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for their students. They are able to recognize the signs of trauma and respond in a sensitive and supportive manner.
In addition to these critical areas of training, teachers who work with refugee children must also have an understanding of the educational system in the country where they are teaching. This includes knowledge of the curriculum, assessment methods, and education policies. Teachers who are familiar with these aspects of the educational system are better equipped to help their students succeed.
After extensive research, we understood that one effective way to provide teachers with the necessary training for working with refugee children is through workshops. Workshops offer a focused and intensive learning experience that can be tailored to the specific needs of teachers working with refugee children.
One such workshop is “Supporting the Success of Child Refugees: Strategies for Educators.” This workshop is designed to provide teachers with the tools and strategies they need to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment for their refugee students. The workshop covers a wide range of topics, including language barriers, cultural sensitivity, trauma-informed care, and the educational system. The workshop is interactive and includes opportunities for teachers to share their experiences and learn from one another. One of the key benefits of the “Supporting the Success of Child Refugees: Strategies for Educators” workshop is that it is designed to be ongoing. Teachers who participate in the workshop are able to continue their learning through ongoing support and resources. This allows them to continue to build their skills and knowledge over time and to provide the best possible support for their refugee students.
Preparing children aged 6–12 to receive refugee classmates is of great importance for creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. By educating children about the experiences of refugees and helping them develop empathy and understanding, schools can foster a sense of belonging for all students.
The workshop “Empathy and Understanding — Preparing for our new classmates” is an effective way to equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to be compassionate and supportive classmates. The workshop covers a range of topics, including the reasons why people become refugees, the challenges they face, and ways to be a supportive friend to those who have experienced trauma. This type of education can help children develop important social and emotional skills, such as empathy, resilience, and conflict resolution, which will not only benefit refugee classmates but will also enhance the classroom community as a whole.
Preparing children to receive refugee classmates can also have a positive impact on their academic success. By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, children are more likely to feel comfortable, motivated, and engaged in their learning. Teachers who are trained to support refugee children and their classmates can provide a safe and nurturing learning environment that can help all students thrive. Overall, the importance of preparing children to receive refugee classmates cannot be overstated.
Through workshops like “Empathy and Understanding — Preparing for our new classmates,” children can learn to value diversity and develop important social and emotional skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.
In today’s world, where social media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion, we utilized various social media platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube, to amplify our message and mission. We also created a website that provides detailed information about our organization and our work.
Despite our best efforts to effect change, the unfortunate reality is that we do not inhabit a perfect world. We encountered a multitude of challenges, some of which proved insurmountable. One of the most notable obstacles we encountered was the lack of response from certain individuals and organizations whom we had contacted to further our vision. This failure to elicit a response served as a major setback to our work. In addition, deeply ingrained societal prejudices and conservative attitudes within Greek society made it exceedingly difficult to achieve change within the educational system. Given the constraints on resources, achieving such change was a lengthy process that may take years to see any tangible results.
However, it is important to note that we were able to successfully identify and adopt solutions to several of the challenges we faced. We learned the importance of revisiting and reshaping our focus and our product to ensure it met the evolving needs of our intended audience. We also gained a deeper appreciation for the value of representative feedback and the need to generate novel ideas and challenge traditional systems and practices to effect meaningful change.
To further enhance our knowledge and expand our skill set, we sought out additional sources of expertise. One particularly valuable source of knowledge was the TEDx program, which provided insights into the importance of avoiding habituation, spending time to understand the intricacies of a given problem, and persevering through trial and error until a solution was found — even if that solution consisted of making minor adjustments to an existing idea or approach.
In conclusion, turning a good idea into real-world impact requires a combination of planning, testing, and implementation. First, it’s important to do thorough research to understand the problem we are trying to solve and identify potential solutions. Once we have a solid idea, it’s crucial to test it in real-world scenarios and gather feedback from stakeholders to ensure that it is effective and addresses their needs. This testing phase may involve piloting the idea in a small-scale setting, collecting data and analyzing the results, and making adjustments as needed. Once the idea has been refined and tested, it can be implemented on a larger scale. To ensure its success, it’s important to have a clear plan for implementation, including identifying the necessary resources and securing funding. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and evaluation are essential to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments as needed. Finally, it’s crucial to have a strong network of partners and collaborators who can support the initiative and help to maximize its impact.
