Zipporah's Dream: Postsecondary Access to Kwantlen Polytechnic University for the Karen and other Government Assisted Refugees in the South Fraser Region

The report presents results and recommendations from a 2013 participatory action needs assessment designed to identify postsecondary access barriers facing the Karen community, a Government Assisted Refugee [GAR] group living in the catchment area of British Columbia's Kwantlen Polytechnic University [KPU]. Originally from Myanmar [Burma], the Karen are part of diverse and growing GAR community living in British Columbia's South Fraser region, arising because of Canada’s international commitment to annually resettle refugees living abroad in difficult, protracted situations. Resettlement brings many challenges to GARs, but also the hope of previously unreachable opportunities. Critical to accessing these opportunities is the attainment of postsecondary education. Along with a literature review of refugee postsecondary access barriers, the report provides regional GAR population estimates and projections for annual GAR demand for postsecondary and remedial education. Utilizing the Active Community Engagement Model (Dooley, S., Gagnon, N., Bhatt, G. and Tweed, R., 2012), the report presents results from a Karen community survey and community consultation event that identify community-perceived postsecondary access barriers and solutions. The report concludes with policy recommendations for KPU designed to enhance postsecondary access opportunities and post-access success.