SAFE is a volunteer-run rural Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) in Nova Scotia, sponsoring Syrian refugee families in Antigonish. They work with community groups to resettle refugees and advocate for human rights. While younger children transition well, older youth face challenges like interrupted schooling and language barriers. There are also issues of racial and ethnic inclusion for African and Muslim students. The goal of this research is to learn from sponsor groups and schools how to help older refugee youth succeed educationally, addressing barriers and sharing best practices. By documenting their experiences, SAFE aims to support new sponsor groups and schools and advocate for policy changes to improve educational outcomes for older refugee youth in rural communities.

(Bkgnd photo credit: dronenish on unsplash)