JRS Europe and partners have launched CHANGE, a project that brings together students, teachers, and refugees to share experiences and build a society in which everyone is welcome and can participate.

CHANGE is kicking off in schools in nine countries across Europe. As we believe that it is young people who will shape the attitudes and societies of tomorrow, we want to help form and enable young people to make a CHANGE in their schools and local communities. Through a 6-stage educational course facilitated by teachers, students learn how to think critically and to make their own value judgements about migration and refugee issues.

CHANGE provides an opportunity for encounter between refugees and young people by inviting refugees in classrooms to share their stories directly with students, from their experience of living in Europe to their hopes and dreams for the future.

Students are then encouraged to join the Student Ambassador programme, which see them engaging in a minimum of two concrete actions, such as small-scale events, campaigns or service projects, to share what they have learned with their school or local communities.

Here is what you can do to get involved in CHANGE:

• If you are a student, you can take what you learn in the classroom by becoming a CHANGE Student Ambassador and take the lead on planning actions with fellow students.
• If you are a teacher, you can inspire your students to put their knowledge and energy into shaping the future they want by thinking critically about important issues.
• If you are a refugee or migrant, you can share your story with others, get to know young people and share your hopes and dreams for the future.

Visit the CHANGE website to learn more. On the site, you can find information about the 6-stage course, the Student Ambassador programme and check-out the CHANGE blog. You can follow and share about CHANGE on social media using the hashtags #IamCHANGE and #2gether4CHANGE.

JRS Europe is committed to making CHANGE happen together with JRS Croatia, JRS Hungary, JRS Ireland, JRS Italy, Stanislas College in the Netherlands, JRS Malta, JRS Portugal and ALBOAN in Spain. This project is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union.