International Seminar: Understanding the Forced Migration, Trauma, and the Role of Schools

As of 2022, more than 100 million individuals experienced displacement by forced migration. In 2023, the United States witnessed the arrival of approximately 3.3 million refugee children, while in Austria1 the rise in numbers of children seeking asylum has grown precipitously in recent years, making this country the largest host of asylum- seeking youth in the European Union.2 These young people arrive with a host of complex needs; the social workers and teachers, who are the front-line workers in school settings, need to be equipped to treat and respond to trauma in the most effective ways possible.

This comparative course will examine the school service-delivery context experienced by forcibly displaced children by incorporating a neurobiological trauma lens and focusing on environmental and relational regulatory processes. The course will address this global social issue by bringing Viennese and Chicago classes together into a collaborative learning community. Students will draw on their field experiences from social service organizations and school settings, to discuss, analyze, and strategize around the issues facing displaced children in school settings. Pedagogical methods will include virtual discussion groups, case studies, cross-classroom assignments, and regular guest lectures from multidisciplinary scholars.

Citations on syllabus.