Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Young refugees have opinions and insight to share, but cultural and linguistic barriers, trauma and time constraints often mean their voices aren't heard in traditional classrooms. So the University of Utah set out to create a space just for them.
A unique program offers refugees from junior high through early college years an opportunity to build confidence, communication skills and pathways to higher education. It's been so effective that multiple parents have reported their kids are more confident, communicative and excited — both at home and at school.
It all began during the Spring of 2020, when the U.'s Department of Communication passed an anti-racist code of conduct, which aimed to improve outreach to communities underrepresented in higher education.
Given Utah's long history of welcoming refugees and high numbers of resettlement in recent years, refugee outreach was a natural consideration.
Professor Michael Middleton, a former debate coach at the U. who is now an assistant dean in the College of Humanities, suggested a debate league for refugees.
Professor Suhi Choi, associate communication department chairwoman and a professor whose work focuses on immigrant experiences, then reached out to the Department of Workforce Services, which enthusiastically supported the idea.
Why debate?
"Debate is a learning laboratory," said Jeannie Hunt, professor and current head coach of the University of Utah's John R. Park Debate Society. "You present knowledge to students, and then you give them the opportunity to use that knowledge in some sort of context like a debate round. Then you give them critical feedback that they can turn around and apply and try again.
"It also uniquely gives students an opportunity to research problems or issues that are very important to them, and have a place to voice their concerns or voice their ideas and their solutions to problems that they see every day that they maybe don't get in a traditional classroom," she added.
A significant turning point occurred when her mother visited, tearfully expressing that it marked the first time she had witnessed her daughter smile since their arrival in the U.S.
–Zahra Faithullah
"There were a few ideas presented, but a debate program seemed to align perfectly with our goals," said Zahra Faithullah, refugee youth coordinator with the Department of Workforce Services. "At the heart of our principles lie empowerment and integration, and this program aligns seamlessly with our values. It equips our youth with the ability to communicate effectively and express their thoughts, skills that extend seamlessly to their endeavors in jobs, schools, or communities. Engaging in this program also provides a valuable opportunity for collaboration within a broader team, promoting integration."
In addition to language and cultural barriers, Faithullah said refugee youth often feel disconnected from their new cultures and lack a space just for them.
"They often become young interpreters, assisting with paperwork and doctor appointments. Their childhood is limited as they take on responsibilities early," she stressed. "This program is a source of gratitude because it allows these kids to open up, forge friendships, and discover a sense of belonging, which holds immense significance."
How the program works
The Utah Refugee Center helped recruit youth and offered space in their office for the class, and the U.'s John R. Park Debate Society provided the coaching.
The debate society has a long history of outreach. Every summer, the team hosts a weeklong debate camp for high schoolers and a tournament during the school year. So, both the professors who coach the team and the college students who compete on it are familiar with teaching teenagers, though they'd never targeted their work with a specific youth community before.
For one evening a week for 10 to 12 weeks, youth arrived to free snacks and lessons on argumentation.
In the fall, the program is open to junior high and high school refugees and offers them high school class credit. In the spring, the course focuses on young adult refugees not enrolled at the U., providing three free university credits.
The class provides translators so students can learn in multiple languages, which assistant coach Averie Vockel — who developed the curriculum for the class and wrote her master's thesis about the effects of debate on refugee populations — said is a key element of engagement for refugees who are learning English or speak it as a second language.
Meredith Jenkins, a student intern for the debate society, also plans and teaches lessons.
Students in the class vote each semester for the issues they are most passionate about, and they prepare arguments both for and against a topic, Hunt said. This last semester, the students unanimously picked gun control.
"It was very obvious that they are well aware that there's a common problem in this country and they want to talk about it," Hunt said.
At the end of the semester, the class hosts a debate tournament at the U. to illustrate what they've learned.
Most recently, refugee youth filled university classrooms for long hours over a weekend in December 2023, where they debated in four languages while U. linguistics major Erin Hardy translated. Hardy translated the final round from Ukrainian.
The debaters in the final round each receive a $1,500 scholarship to the U., and the winner got a free laptop.
Making a difference
"There's tons and tons of research about how speech and debate is beneficial for young people when they're in school — for things like test scores, you know, looks good on college application, critical thinking, all of those skills," Vockel said.
The National Association of Urban Debate Leagues found that high school students who participate in debate are 70% more likely to achieve college readiness benchmarks on the ACT, score 25% higher on collegiate literacy tests and are three times less likely to drop out of school. Three-fourths of debaters also go on to attend four-year universities.
"We have a few students who have been in our class who are now pursuing debate in high school," Vockel said. "And we have a lot of students who are potentially or already taking classes at (Salt Lake Community College), so it's about facilitation of if they would like to transfer to a university after the completion of their associates."
Each semester, Karen Marsh Schaeffer, director of student success and engagement at the U's College of Humanities, gives a presentation to students about how to fill out university applications and apply for scholarships.
On a more personal level, Faithullah said that one recently arrived Ukrainian refugee teen was originally reserved, but gradually began to engage with her peers. She even asked for help with homework outside of the program.
"A significant turning point occurred when her mother visited, tearfully expressing that it marked the first time she had witnessed her daughter smile since their arrival in the U.S.," Faithullah said.
One mother approached Hunt and Vockel after the tournament during the first semester of the program. While the woman normally wore a head shawl, she uncovered her face so they could see her expression as she told them how profoundly the class had impacted her son's life.
Parents told them their kids were much more willing to speak and practice English at home, and how much more passionate their child was about the issues they cared about.
"Seeing confidence from day one to the tournament is it's a huge leap and it has been a huge leap every semester that we've done it," Vockel said. "There's an impact here in confidence and willingness and comfortability in speaking up."
Those interested in participating in the Refugee Debate League can email zfaithullah@utah.gov or reach out to the Utah Refugee Center, which is a subsection of the Department of Workforce Services.
