Refugee Students’ School Journeys: Belonging, Barriers, and Becoming in Ontario, Canada

This chapter examines the school experiences of refugee students resettling in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Using a Researcher-in-Family (RIF) model and neighbourhood walk interviews, the study centres students’ voices to explore how resettlement shapes educational transitions. The findings identify four interrelated themes: (1) Navigating a New System, where frequent housing moves and language barriers place students in prolonged transition; (2) Teacher Relationships, ranging from supportive mentorship to exclusion and cultural erasure; (3) Finding Belonging, showing how students seek both emotional connection and practical social ties; and (4) Safety and Stigma, revealing how early perceptions of kindness coexist with experiences of racism and discrimination. By applying the RIF model, this study offers insight into refugee students’ schooling and calls for inclusive culturally responsive and anti-racist practices that move beyond individual goodwill towards systemic belonging in schools.