Making a Change! Exploring Refugee Youth's Civic Engagement in Out-of-School Programs to Cultivate Critical Consciousness

Out-of-school time (OST) programs provide important contexts for youth's development and well-being. Moreover, OST programs have the potential to serve as an anchor for refugee youth who lack familiarity with U.S. schools and communities. Youth civic engagement encompasses activities that are critical for empowering young people to participate in political, economic, and social initiatives, becoming agents of positive change. While civic engagement has been deemed an important activity, research that highlights refugee youth's motivation, benefits, and engagement in civic duties within local communities is limited. Drawing on a critical consciousness framework, which entails becoming more aware of structural injustice and positioning oneself to participate in systemic change, this phenomenological study explores refugee youth's motivation and types of civic engagement in OST programs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 refugee youth resettled in Chicago, Illinois. These youth described the motivations leading them to become civically engaged, such as a sense of duty or obligation to learn and advocate for the rights of refugees and to build a sense of community with their peers and mentors. Recommendations are offered about how schools and community partners can assist refugee students in becoming more civically involved in OST settings.