Where to start — the giant Jenga set, a chemistry demo, or a game of sack toss?
That was the choice Rochester-area refugee children faced as they enjoyed an evening of indoor interactive play — ranging from board games to hands-on experiments.
Organized by a team of Monroe Community College students, the free event for refugee children ages 7 to 19 and their families was held at the downtown campus in November as part of a student-led project promoting the well-being of young refugees and building a more inclusive community. The project demonstrates the positive role that increasing access to supervised play can have in enhancing coping skills and well-being.
“Through our research, we found that play can be therapeutic and designed to aid in the coping process for adolescent refugees in their new environment. Moreover, play can act as a catalyst for personal and emotional growth while helping build stronger trust, cohesion, and community among refugees,” said Isaiah Gonsalves, one of the event organizers and a co-vice president of Phi Theta Kappa honor society’s MCC chapter, which is leading the project.
While children played, families converged in another room for an opportunity to meet with representatives of local outreach groups to learn about various community supports available.
The event was led by PTK in collaboration with five other student clubs and organizations. Many of the teens at the event are inspired to become MCC students.
