About the Project
AMSSA’s Safe Haven Language Curriculum Project, funded by the province of BC, aims to develop curriculum guidelines to support English language teachers in meeting the specific needs of refugee claimants (RCs) in BC to learn English. Partner agencies working with AMSSA in the project include ISSofBC, ICA, and DIVERSEcity.
The first phase of the project involved a number of field research endeavors in order to gather information from RCs themselves about their situations and language goals, as well as from others who support RCs and who are Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in areas that impact RCs.
The first research endeavor was a Canada-wide environmental scan of accessible curricula, teaching materials and other documents already created to teach English and/or other information to refugee claimants, or to inform teachers and others about the situations and needs of RCs.
Following the environmental scan, questions for a survey, and for interviews or focus groups, were written by the field research team to gather information from:
- Refugee claimants
- Teachers of English language learners (ELL Teachers)
- Employment Specialists and Settlement Staff who support RCs
- Employers
- Subject Matter Experts in:
- the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers
- trauma, and trauma-informed practice
- mental health
- EAL literacy
- learning difficulties
Referrals of interested refugee claimants, ELL Teachers, Employment Specialists, and Settlement staff were made by organizations providing services to refugee claimants including in the provincial Safe Haven English language training program. Participants in surveys, focus groups, and interviews represented all seven service regions of Safe Haven and a variety of direct service providers. Employers and Subject Matter Experts were identified by AMSSA and partner agencies ISSofBC, ICA, and DIVERSEcity.
The environmental scan, interviews, and focus groups were completed October 2024 to January 2025.
About the Resource Network
The BC Safe Haven Resource Network is a collaboration providing indirect supports to Safe Haven program service providers. This collaboration is led by AMSSA in partnership with ISSofBC, MAP-BC, VAST, Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria, United Way BC, and DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society.