Get $15M for Refugee Education Programs

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites States, Wilson/Fish agencies and replacement designees to submit applications for funds to support local school systems that are impacted by significant numbers of refugee children or are otherwise faced with challenges in providing education to refugee students. ORR expects to award $15,000,000 to States and Wilson/Fish agencies or their designees that adequately a) make a case by documenting significant impact of refugee children in local schools, b) specify the purposes for which the funding would be used, and c) show that the proposed activities are related to and would be beneficial for educating refugee children. Applicants responding to this announcement are encouraged to design projects that incorporate collaboration with agencies providing resettlement, health and mental health, child care, and social services, etc. in order to strengthen their capacity for providing educational services to refugee children.

Applicants must provide quantifiable and verifiable data describing the population of refugee children ages 5 to 18 for the period FY 2009 through FY 2011, fully documenting calculation of the numbers presented as the target population. However, awards will not be based solely on population numbers but will also consider: 1) the adequate documentation of the service needs of the population to be served; 2) full description of available resources to the applicant to serve the target population; and 3) the strength of the applicant's proposed program services. The State or Wilson/Fish agency or its designee shall submit a single application on behalf of all the schools within the State considered in this proposal. Awards will be contingent upon the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.

Descriptions of collaborative agreements among key participants: State, Wilson/Fish agency, State department of education, local school districts, refugee service providers, community- and faith-based and other non-profit organizations should be submitted as part of the Refugee School Impact application. In addition, if the State or alternative agency or its designee that is implementing the project is other than the State department of education, a formal means of collaboration with the State department of education, school districts and/or participating schools is necessary. The project implementing agency also must establish formal agreement with sub-grantees. These funds may not be used to supplant other Federal Government resources and are not intended to cover tuition expenses for students.

Construction and renovation costs are not allowable under this program.