I am researching methods for improving educational integration and support for English as an additional language (EAL) newcomer students. During my Fellowship, I will evaluate different integration approaches used in the USA and Australia. The aim is to create an EAL integration framework, including case studies, and to implement it into the UK education system.

My Fellowship was inspired by my time spent at Alsama, an NGO based in a refugee camp in Beirut, which has created a transformative education model that takes its students from illiterate to university-ready in 6 years. The students at Alsama are fully engaged in their education and have even helped co-create a holistic educational programme tailored to their needs.

When I returned to the UK, I discovered that EAL and illiterate students entering the UK education system at the high school level do not have the same opportunities. I hope researching and eventually implementing a successful integration programme will improve engagement for EAL students in the UK.