Mentor Training

Objective: Mentors understand the refugee resettlement process and the complex process refugees go through once leaving their home countries. Mentors understand that not all journeys are the same and that many refugee youth have been born or spent much of their life in a neighboring countries waiting for resettlement and may have complex feelings about the term “refugee”.

• Watch: Who are refugees and how do they arrive in the U.S.?
• Read: UNHCR US Resettlement Fact Sheet
  • Write down three (3) things that surprised you:
    • #1:
    • #2:
    • #3:
• Learning Check: 
  • Answer the following questions:
    • What percentage of refugees worldwide are resettled?
    • What three countries host the most refugees?
    • How many resettlement agencies are there in the U.S.?
    • What region of the world did most refugees who were resettled in the U.S. in 2019 come from?
    • Any person who flees their country is eligible for resettlement. True or False?
• Explore: “Refugee Voices” Gallery
  • Think about the following questions:
    • What did you learn from this story that you didn’t know before?
    • How does this story relate to your own experiences?
    • How might knowing these stories and others from your own life inform your work as a mentor? 
• Further Exploration: Not all resettlement journeys are the same. In recent years there have been a range of ways people may be resettled within the U.S.
  • Read: Resettlement process for Afghan nationals and Resettlement process for Ukrainian nationals
  • Think about the following questions:
    • How does resettlement differ for recent arrivals from Afghanistan or Ukraine?
    • How might this influence your work as a mentor?
• Wrap-Up: Think back about all the different resettlement journey’s you’ve explored in this lesson. What are some important biases and stereotypes about refugees that are disputed by these narratives? How will you use this knowledge to inform your work as a mentor?

Objective: Mentors are aware of some of the challenges and opportunities facing refugee youth once they are resettled in the U.S. Mentors identify what is and isn’t their role in the resettlement process and how they can support in helping refugees thrive in their new communities. 

• Opening Reflection: Think about your routine today. What did you do? How did you get around? What interactions did you have? Think about all the daily interactions and social norms that might be new or unusual to people who have recently moved to the U.S.
• Read: pages 5-10 and page 17 in Free City Refugee Mentor Handbook
• Review: infographics from Defining the Community Integration Model of Refugee Resettlement

• • Identify where and how you as a mentor fit into this process:
• Learning Check: Answer the following questions. For each question, decide if this the role of a caseworker or the mentee. It’s okay if you don’t know!
  • Develop engaging activities along with the mentee to meet their goals. – [resettlement organization / mentor / not sure]
  • Support with signing up for legal documents and accounts.
  • Be a friend or ally in preparing for interviews and appointments.
  • Help find good housing and provide basic household goods. 
  • Make calls to help schedule medical or employment services appointments.
  • Meet regularly and consistently with refugee youth mentee at a pre-arranged time to check in on how they are doing and work together on any language, academic or employment needs. 
• Read: the article “What the American dream looks like for immigrants” by Anne Helen Petersen. Pick one narrative to reflect on. 
• Reflect:
  • Why did you pick this person? What part of their story resonated with you?
  • Make a list of some of the challenges this person and their family faced when they moved.
  • Make a list of some of the strengths this person and their family brought with them.
  • Think about how this person’s’ needs and opportunities changed over time.
• Explore: Look at these different examples of community resource maps. Note down some features you think would be useful and some that may be missing.
  • Examples: map from Refugeography Boston, resource map of Greater Phoenix, and UNHCR Find Hello maps USA 
• Activity: What resources exist in your community? How would you find out about them? Look at the example community map and start making one for your community. Start making a community resource map for your own community with key resources, information, and tools. You will build this together with your mentee with both of you adding to it over time, so this is just a first step. 
• Wrap-Up: What are some of the challenges that young refugees face when they first resettle to the U.S.? How might these challenges change over time? How can you support them in findings ways to address these challenges in your role as a mentor?

Objective: Mentors will think about some of their own beliefs about what defines American society and cultures. Mentors will reflect on some of the beliefs refugees may have about the U.S. before they come to the U.S., and how these beliefs may change as refugees settle into life in America. Mentors will learn techniques for listening and talking about complex issues like culture, religion and identity when these come up with refugee mentees.

• Opening Reflection: Think about the phrase “the American dream”. What does it mean to you? What does it mean to others? 
• Activity Reflection: Think back to the Community Resource map you made last lesson. Think about the specific neighborhoods where refugees may live in your community.
  • What language, cultural, and economic resources exist in this community?
  • What might be surprising to refugees about this community if this is their first time living in America?
• Read: “How can you help refugees adjust” in Mentoring Refugees: A Handbook for Volunteers pgs. 12-13 
• Watch: the video Stories of Welcome.
• Reflect: on how your role as a mentor may impact you as well as the refugee you work with. How does this relate to your initial thoughts during the opening reflection about the “American Dream”?
• Further Exploration: The First Days Project shares stories of immigrants’ and refugees’ first experiences in the United States. Feel free to browse the audio, visual or multimedia stories, and share your own. Think about how these early impressions inform refugees experiences, and how they may change over time.