Welcome To School (responsible expert: University of Copenhagen, Denmark; implementing partners: University of Copenhagen, Denmark; KULeuven, Belgium; NKVTS, Norway)
The WTS intervention works with a Manual and an Implementation protocol.
Watch our short video here explaining the Welcome To School intervention
The initiative consists of 14 sessions that bring refugee and migrant adolescents of a class group together in small discussion groups under the guidance of their teacher. The units seek to build bridges between the past, the present and the future, and cover a range of themes, such as people of importance, friendships, being in love and dating, leisure time, discrimination and visions for the future.
Throughout the programme, adolescents are encouraged to share experiences, thoughts and difficulties, and to collectively identify ways of dealing with certain stressors or problems. Emphasizing non-verbal techniques, such as drawing and drama, the adolescents will discover mutual difficulties and identify opportunities to co-construct solutions and ways forward – fortifying the social support networks of these young newcomers.
We draw on lessons learnt from this initiative across three European countries (Belgium, Norway and Denmark) to carefully revise and adapt the manuals and session plans.
You want to know more? Click here or have a look at the resources!
Resources
WTS Manual. Tuk, B., & de Neef, M. (2020). Welcome to School: Facilitating school-based social support for adolescent newcomers. Teacher manual. Utrecht: Pharos.
Available in English, Danish, Dutch (BE), Dutch (NL), and Norwegian.
WTS Student book. Tuk, B., & de Neef, M. (2020). Welcome to School: Facilitationg school-based social support for adolescent newcomers. Newcomer workbook. Utrecht: Pharos.
Available in English, Danish, Dutch (BE), Dutch (NL), and Norwegian.
WTS Implementation Protocol. Primdahl, N.L., Spaas, C., Andersen, A. J., Hilden, P.K., Jervelund, S. S., De Haene, L., & Skovdal., M. (2021). RefugeesWellSchool implementation protocol: Welcome to School. Copenhagen, Gent: University of Copenhagen, Ghent University.