TPS and Student Support
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is granted to nations experiencing conditions that make it unsafe for its citizens to return home. A few weeks ago TPS was extended for Sudan, one of our member nations, as the country works to stabilize internal matters. I’ve been a higher-ed faculty member for nearly 30 years and know – students face myriad challenges outside the classroom. Housing, food, and financial insecurity; child and elder-care responsibilities, intimate-partner violence, and interactions with law enforcement and/or immigration services are just some of the many barriers that undermine student success. Add to this the reality of war – closed universities, shuttered workplaces, and families fleeing, separated from each other, or worse – and the barriers to student success can seem insurmountable.
Sudanese Embassy — Washington DC
For much of the Western world, the pause to normal daily life caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic was the first substantive and sustained disruption many had to their normal routines. Forced separation from family and friends compounded by school closings which intensified interaction while demanding active engagement in close quarters was a unique opportunity to share in a global state of emergency. The pandemic illuminated the challenges of educating students and the expertise required. As a career educator and as the Mom of sons who always filled our home with students from abroad (even now), I have a deep appreciation for the angst students face as they work to balance the demands on daily life while also being deeply concerned for the wellbeing and safety of family back home.
Flag of the Republic of the Sudan
GEI is working diligently to help students from Sudan optimize their education and lived experiences in the US while managing the heavy load of “life” they bear daily due to the war. If you, someone you know, and/or an organization in your network are interested in helping GEI help Sudanese students, contact us now ast www.globaledimmersion.com. Together we can make an immediate impact on the lives of students and fundamentally change the way student support is experienced by providing “Student support – as it should be.”©
