Early Years Professional Development Centre

This module explores what it means to be a refugee in our modern context. It describes the evolution of our modern legal framework for supporting refugees and explores how our understanding of refugees as  specific types of migrants has evolved over time and may change in future.

In a world of increasing global migration, understanding the settlement process is of growing significance. Before exploring that process in more detail, it is important to set the stage for your exploration of settlement by becoming more familiar with the effects of migration in the community where you live and work and by understanding as much as possible about migration experiences within your own family.

While children’s play occurs universally, there are patterns and characteristics that vary among and within cultures. Professionals who work with multi-cultural families need to be aware of and able to engage in discussions that serve to increase mutual understanding. The objective of this learning module is to present different perceptions regarding play and development that are relevant to professionals who work in multicultural settings and create a dialogue about play as a universal and culturally-based activity

Like settlement, starting school involves change and transition. For each child, the transition to school involves a mental and physical transformation that occurs over time. Preparing young newcomers for school is of special importance since positive outcomes at school have life-long benefits that are not available to those who do not succeed at school.

Complexity is a major challenge in settings where educators are expected to meet the needs of newcomer children and families. Although the needs of children are of first importance, educators in such settings must consider needs experienced, not only by the children, but also by parents and staff, including other educators. In this module you will be asked to think about programs in action. It will give you an idea of how individuals participate in the settlement process and the types of needs that educators must address.

In earlier modules in the Newcomer Series, settlement is described as a process of transition and the distinctive needs of all those involved in settlement are considered, with a special focus on the needs of the newcomer child. In this module  you will have an opportunity to think specifically about the challenges of meeting the needs of newcomer children in group settings such as classrooms and to consider the overall role of the early childhood program or school in the settlement of young immigrants and refugees.

This module introduces you to the  relationship between sustainability and settlement, especially the settlement of children.  With an overview of migration and settlement, you will be introduced to ideas about sustainability and you will have an opportunity to add consideration of rights as a lens that shapes our understanding of both settlement and sustainability.