Student Refugee Program

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What is the Student Refugee Program?

The Student Refugee Program is a youth to youth refugee resettlement and integration program that enables over 150 young refugee students each year to enter Canada as Permanent Residents and pursue higher education. Since 1978, WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) has enabled more than 2,200 refugees to settle in Canada as permanent residents and pursue post-secondary education. During the program’s history, students have been sponsored from 39 countries of origin, including Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Czechoslovakia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, South Sudan, and Uganda.

SRP Promo - no subtitles.mp4

How does it work?

As an official Sponsorship Agreement Holder in Canada, WUSC has a longstanding agreement with the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec. These agreements enable us to bring refugee students to study in Canada as permanent residents as part of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. WUSC ensures the success of the SRP by facilitating the overseas selection of refugees in cooperation with international agencies and the Canadian government, placing them at a Canadian university, CEGEP or college, and providing training and guidance to the Local Committees. Each refugee student is sponsored by a campus-based WUSC Local Committee which raises the necessary funds ahead of time and provides the student with at least 12 months of financial, social, academic, and health and wellbeing support. 

Youth as the Drivers of Integration

The core of the SRP is its  youth-to-youth sponsorship model. Students in Canada support the day to day integration of newcomers through the SRP and help build their sense of belonging to their campuses and communities. Newcomer students are positively impacted by the support of their peers, and students in Canada gain valuable cross-cultural and hands-on learning experiences. The SRP team has a journal article that discusses this in further detail, you can read it here! 

Results & Impact

The impact of this program has a ripple effect within the students’ families and communities. By providing refugee youth with opportunities to continue their education, we also reignite their families’ hopes for the future as we equip their children with the knowledge, skills and experiences to build a brighter future for themselves and their families. Such opportunities also encourage other young refugees to stay in primary and secondary school in hopes of applying for the Student Refugee Program upon graduation. 

Resources

SRP Guide for Local Committees

SRP-Guide-for-Local-Committees-2020.pdf

SRP 12 Month Action Items

SRP 12 Month Action Items_EN (November 2022).pdf

SRP Post-Arrival Checklist

SRP post-arrival checklist.pdf

SRP Student Health & Wellness

SRP-Students-Wellness-Infosheet.pdf

Tripartite Agreement for the SRP

Tripartite Agreement for the SRP (2021 forward).pdf

Guide to Planning a Successful Referendum

SRP-Student-Refugee-Program-Referendum-Guide.pdf

Quarantine Readiness Checklist

Quarantine Readiness Checklist for Local Committees - 2021.pdf

Welcoming SRP students in a pandemic context

Welcoming SRP students in a pandemic context.pdf

Training

Introduction to WUSC

Are you familiar with WUSC's vision and mission? Before jumping into any other trainings, it's important for you to start with an introduction to WUSC! In this training, you will learn about WUSC's work in Canada and internationally. You will also learn about WUSC's three public engagement campaigns.

WUSC 101 - English_Spring 2021

Click here to download the slides.

Responding to Refugees’ Resettlement and Education Needs: WUSC’s Student Refugee Program

Learn about the global context of refugee resettlement and education and how the Student Refugee Program fits into global efforts towards durable solutions for refugees.

WUSC SRP - Responding to Refugees Education and Resettlement Needs

Click here to download the slides (and learn more in the speaker's notes!) 

WUSC's 5 Pillars of SRP Support

Providing quality integration support to SRP students involves supporting them along 5 "pillars" or categories: academic, social, financial, health & wellbeing, and self-reliance. Learn more about what support is included in these pillars and how they fit into the broader vision of WUSC's SRP.

5 Pillars of SRP sponsorship slides - GoogleSite

Click here to download the slides. 

Preparing for SRP student arrivals

This recorded webinar provides key information to support Local Committee members in preparing for SRP student arrivals. It includes information on the next steps for Local Committees and SRP students. (Recorded in May 2023)

Click here to download the slides. 

SRP support and sponsorship: Problem solving

Learn how to navigate issues that may arise when providing support to SRP students from discussions that took place during an interactive live training session hosted by SRP alumni. Find the slides on the left and a document containing scenario solutions on the right.

SRP support and sponsorship_ Problem solving_Live session May 2022_EN

Click here to download the slides. 

SRP support and sponsorship_ Problem solving Scenario Solutions_EN.pdf

Understanding the SRP Student Matching Process (2023) 

In February and March, the SRP team facilitates the matching of SRP candidates to sponsoring institutions for the following academic year. This video explains more about the process and what your role is as a sponsoring group. 

 Video Archive

Questions? Contact us at campus@wusc.ca.