Story Squad has begun a new year-long project in collaboration with Dr. Heba Abd Al Salam to use storytelling as a cultural bridge with new, Middle Eastern refugees to the Triangle area. The project seeks to address the issue of cultural isolation and language barriers for Middle Eastern and Muslim refugees in the Triangle area. Journal articles and professionals in organizations that support refugees claim the primary focus of support is on the economic needs of their clients and “the resettlement process is devoid of cultural interventions” (Diya Abdo, Every Campus a Refuge project). Through a 9-month series of field trips to cultural heritage institutions and local historical sites, participants will encounter local NC culture and heritage to increase their understanding of their new home’s traditions and grow their sense of belonging. The primary educational strategy will be bilingual storytelling to bring cultural artifacts and spaces to life. Each field excursion will include on-site translation and a bilingual handout/booklet to help increase language exposure and give participants something to revisit. We hope to reinforce a sense of pride in their own culture and help them feel welcomed and valued in North Carolina.
We have assembled a team of dedicated student volunteers to help with program preparation and support, and we have reached out to three refugee organizations as possible collaborators: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Raleigh, and Church World Service and World Relief in Durham. We are planning our first field trip in late February and are currently working on logistics and preparing the programs for the spring!
We are very thankful that this program is supported in part by North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org.
