High School Support and Guidance
Graduate + Grow
Supporting High School Students’ Academic Success and Preparing Them for Life’s Next Steps
While the Refugee Education Center has always worked to support students in their efforts to graduate high school, we created the Graduate + Grow program in 2018 to offer broad, individualized support for high school-aged students of refugee backgrounds.
Through the Graduate + Grow program, students receive graduation plans, mentorship, age-out support, and guidance to prepare them to graduate with a traditional high school diploma. Additionally, the program is designed to support a successful transition into a career, trade school, and/or post-secondary education. We aim to help students plant deeper roots, grow, and flourish!
Individualized Graduation Plans
For all refugee students ages 15-24 years old, we meet one-on-one with students and their parents to develop a graduation plan. Our staff then coordinates with community partners, such as area high schools, trade schools, local colleges, career mentors, and others, to implement a strategy that supports students in their goal of obtaining a traditional high school diploma.
College and Career Guidance
High school success and graduation are the primary goals of the Graduate + Grow program, but these are not the only measures of success.
At the Refugee Education Center, we hope all students are prepared and confident to begin the next phase of their journey and are active, participating community members. Our team supports students as they research and apply for colleges, federal student loans, and scholarships, draft resumes, and more.
Mentorship
Students enrolled in Graduate + Grow have the opportunity to be paired with a mentor. The Refugee Education Center and partner organization Treetops Collective facilitate mentorships to support students in developing social and life skills, engaging in one another's respective cultures, engaging in civic and social events and opportunities, and addressing goals and barriers in education and career areas. Mentors and students also cover topics related to how to excel in high school, higher education, jobs and careers, mental health, relational health, personal finances, and leadership.
Age-Out Support
Refugees resettling in the United States and resuming the goal of high school graduation pose a unique challenge. In the US, state laws limit the allowable age for learners to continue their education in public schools with other students ages 18 and younger. In Michigan, students age out if they are 20 years old by September 1 of a given school year.
For a newly resettled teenage refugee - who likely has spent two or more years seeking asylum, obtaining refugee status, being designated for resettlement in the United States, undergoing thorough background checks, and finally settling in a new home - it’s possible that earning a traditional high school diploma before the age of 20 may not be feasible.
The Refugee Education Center designed the Graduate + Grow program and its services for these older students to provide a new way forward with their education. Our primary goal is to support students in receiving a traditional high school diploma by developing, identifying, and/or supporting re-enrollment into alternative programs that offer such a possibility. This ultimately prepares them for a successful transition into a career, trade school, and/or post-secondary education.
School Collaboration
The Refugee Education Center believes collaborating with local school districts, individual educators, and administrators is critical to supporting refugee students. This collaboration increases the likelihood of students' successful transition into the next phase of their education or career. The Refugee Education Center offers educators and school administrators training, seminars, and/or system-level engagement to address the unique needs of refugee students. Learn more about these services here.