ALNF’s Refugee Action Support program is an award-winning initiative designed to support children and young people from refugee backgrounds through individualised one-on-one tutoring, tailored to their unique needs.

Recognising the multitude of challenges and complexities faced by young people from refugee backgrounds, the program creates safe learning spaces that enable students to develop their language, communication and classroom learning practices, facilitating a successful transition to Australian schooling and boosting students’ confidence.

Through its unique 3-way partnership between ALNF, the Department of Education and participating universities, the program also provides valuable opportunities for young teachers-in-training to gain vital first-hand classroom experience and build their capacity.

The program has been recognised as an exemplary initiative by the Refugee Council of Australia, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission and the MacJanet Prize for Global Citizenship.

Helping young refugees gain vital literacy and language skills enables them to more easily integrate with communities, share their stories and grasp the opportunity to contribute to Australian society sooner.

Entering a new culture can be a daunting experience, especially for refugees who may have experienced trauma in their lives.

Recognising this, the program fosters a safe and understanding learning environment, through an individualised approach that centres on tailored, one-on-one support for these students as they grapple with the language and literacy demands of the classroom.

Importantly, by placing young teachers-in-training across participating schools, the program provides valuable opportunities for the next generation of educators to spend more time in the classroom, build on their experience in working closely with primary and high school students, and in many cases, gain course credit.