Refugee School Impact Grant Project

About the Grant

Washington State is one of 36 states receiving a Refugee School Impact Grant (RSIG) from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).  Funds are awarded to Washington’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA), which contracts with School’s Out Washington to administer the grant.  Through the RSIG Project, School's Out Washington works hard to support local school systems impacted by significant numbers of refugee children and youth, ages 5-18, in the country three years or less.

Grant Outcomes

In Washington State, the Refugee School Impact Grant is focused on these goals:

  1. To ensure refugee students’ high academic performance and successful school integration.
  2. To strengthen the skills, knowledge, and competence of parents, schools and community-based organizations for the benefit of refugee students.

Grant Activities

For the August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012 time period, School’s Out Washington’s RSIG responsibilities include the following:

  • Support district-community partnerships in the implementation of their RSIG projects.
  • Provide technical assistance and training on grant related issues.
  • Offer district-community partnerships opportunities for training, professional development and additional materials and/or resources to enhance RSIG service delivery.

You can find general refugee resettlement trends and data for both the United States and Washington State online.  For national refugee arrival data updated every month, please visit the Refugee Processing Center.  For data specific to Washington State, please visit the ORR’s State Profiles or the Refugee Arrival Data by state.  For more information on Washington State’s ORIA, please contact Teresa Fiorini.

BRYCS is the national technical assistance provider for Refugee School Impact Grantees.  You will find additional RSIG resources, Office of Refugee Resettlement RSIG updates and a list of other states receiving RSIG funds at their website.

For more information on School’s Out Washington’s Refugee School Impact Grant activities, please contact Pang Chang, the Refugee School Impact Grant Project Director.  Her phone number is 206.336.6933 or 1.888.413.9300 (toll-free in WA State.)