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For Release: October 16, 2002

State Announces Grant Opportunity for Schools to Help Refugee Students

TRENTON — The state Department of Education has announced the availability of a three-year grant program to help local school districts provide better education and support services for refugee students.

It is estimated that 10 to 15 grants will be awarded and that the range of awards will be between $30,000 and $150,000.

Applications for year one of the three-year grant are available on the department’s website: http://www.state.nj.us/njded/grants/discretionary. Please look under "Notice of Grant Opportunity" for the proper information.

A requirement of the grant program is that local school districts form collaborative relationships with community-based organizations with experience in refugee resettlement and assistance.

The Department of Education and the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Services in the Department of Human Services believe that developing ongoing relationships with such community organizations will help local districts in the long run with successfully integrating refugee students into their schools.

Districts interested in applying for the refugee grant may attend a technical assistance workshop on October 28 from 10 a.m. to noon. The address is as follows:

New Jersey Department of Education
First Floor, Conference Room A
Riverview Executive Plaza, Building 100
Trenton, NJ 08625

Pre-registration is required by October 22. The registration form can be found on the website under Appendix E of the Notice of Grant Opportunity. It can be faxed to (609) 292-1211. Anyone needing special accommodations for the workshop is asked to indicate them at the registration.

For additional information, please contact Eunice Y. Couselo, director of the Office of Specialized Populations, at (609) 292-8777.