Summer Workshop on Forced Displacement for K-12 Teachers

Applications are Currently Closed.

The displacement of tens of millions of people who have fled their homes due to war, persecution, climate change, and other disasters, is one of the great global challenges and ethical imperatives of our time. With new and continued conflicts in many parts of the world, persecution, inequality, disease, and climate change, this number is likely to go up significantly in the years to come. Boston University Center on Forced Displacement, established in 2022, recognizes the continued suffering of forcibly displaced persons all around the world and supports new ideas, technologies, scholarship, awareness, and solution identification that will improve the human condition of vulnerable persons, in all parts of the world, who are forced to leave their homes. Innovations in pedagogy and teacher training, along with curriculum development and reform at all educational levels, are a core part of our mission. The Center on Forced Displacement at Boston University invites K-12 public school teachers to participate in an enriching one-week summer workshop focused on one of the greatest global challenges of our time: forced displacement. 

This is a unique opportunity for K-12 educators in social studies, English, US and World History, Geography, Government, Environmental Studies as well as other STEM disciplines (including but not limited to statistics, biology, engineering sciences etc) to work with CFD faculty, staff, and their colleagues from different school districts to deepen their knowledge, share their perspectives with their peers, broaden their training, and enhance their teaching practices in the broader context of forced displacement. 

We will have separate tracks for primary, middle, and high school teachers. At the end of the workshop, all participants will get an opportunity to engage with each other and share their experiences.  Through a blend of lectures, workshops, hands-on learning opportunities, and interactive discussions, participants will:

  • Gain an understanding of the causes, consequences, and dynamics of forced displacement
  • Explore teaching methodologies and identify gaps in the area of forced displacement in the classroom
  • Work with CFD to develop resources to engage students on topics related to forced displacement 
  • Develop best practices on how to provide a nurturing and inclusive classroom for students affected by forced displacement 
  • Connect with experts, practitioners, and fellow educators to exchange ideas, share methodologies, and build a supportive network
  • Earn a certificate of completion 

Who Should Apply:

The workshop is designed for public school teachers (primary, middle, and high school levels) from diverse disciplines, including but not limited to social studies, civics, geography, history, language arts, environmental sciences, statistics, biology and other related disciplines. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting empathy, inclusion, and social justice in their teaching practice.