Launch of the Victorian Refugee Education and Empowerment Network (REEN)

We invite you to join the launch of the Victorian Refugee Education and Empowerment Network (REEN).

River Nile School, Foundation House and Refugee Education Australia are partnering to start a cross-sector Victorian network dedicated to education and empowerment for young people from refugee backgrounds. This network will be open to school-based professionals, community organisations, government departments, health services, businesses, and more—anyone passionate about sharing expertise, ideas, and initiatives while working together to create opportunities and lasting change.

Our first network meeting will be held online on Thursday 23rd October from 9am till 11am. Then we hope to host network meetings each school term.

In this first network meeting together, we will: 

• Introduce our organisations,

• Highlight a case study of River Nile School (RNS), as a unique educational and holistic setting for young people from refugee backgrounds, focusing on the way they address key network topics,

• Host a panel of students from RNS that centres the network on the voices and experiences of young people,

• Share the vision for the network, and co-create possibilities for our future direction (e.g., collaborative advocacy, shared resources/events),  

• Give network members an opportunity to connect with people across sectors, and

• Share 2026 network dates.

Over time, the network will explore some of the following topics already suggested through the Expressions of Interest process:  

• Pathways & employment

• Policy, systemic issues & research

• Educator/staff support & professional development

• Refugee experiences & resettlement

You can find out more about each of our organisations below:

River Nile School

Foundation House

Refugee Education Australia

For more information you can contact Maddie Gange on gangem@foundationhouse.org.au or Francine Sculli on francine.sculli@rivernileschool.vic.edu.au.