Refugee Language Program

• Lunch and Conversation from 12.30-1.30pm on Saturdays is held in the Gallery of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS) in the Mackie Building.
• Dates:
  Wednesdays Academic Writing Class: 30th Jan – 26th March
  Saturdays Intermediate and Creative Writing classes: 2nd Feb - 29th March
• The second course will start on Wednesday 30th April and Saturday 3rd May

Download student enrolment form

Download travel directions

Classes
Classes are held in
The Mackie Building
Mackie Building K01
University of Sydney
NSW 2006

The Mackie Buildingis located in Arundel Street, Glebe, across the footbridge over Parramatta Road from the main campus of the University of Sydney.

The class teachers are volunteers and include university staff, students, alumni and local community members. There are also a number of volunteers who work as conversation partners after classes or as individual tutors. If you are interested in becoming involved please download the volunteer from and send to the co-ordinator, Lesley.

Students in the Refugee Language Program come from many countries including the Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Columbia, Peru, Burma, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, China, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Indonesia. Many of the students hold Bridging E Visas, the toughest and most excluding visa that the Government offers. This visa does not allow a person access to Medicare, Centre Link allowances or adult education classes.

Blue Mountains tour
In October 2007, the Creative Writing teachers, Catherine Cooper and Caroline Josephs took their class on an excursion to the Blue Mountains. The Director of Into the Blue walking tours, Raymond Hawkins, organized and lead a bushwalk for our students at no cost to the RLP. A group of participants were invited to accompany the teachers and students and our class was able to share their experiences in a beautiful, as well as nurturing environment. (See images on this site.)
People in the images
image 1: Firkirte and Mirga from Ethiopia
image 2: Catherine Cooper with students and volunteers
image 3: Diana, Genny, Emanuel, Firkirte and Mirga with Raymond

The program has been operating since September 2003; the co-ordinator’s position is funded by the Senate of the University of Sydney.

Donations
The RLP also receives donations and grants from individuals and community organizations to cover additional running costs, lunches, student fares and sundry expenses.

If you are interested in donating to support this program, please send a cheque to:

The RLP
Mackie Building K01
Room 110
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Australia.

Official receipts are given for all donations received.

The volunteers who work with the refugees and asylum seekers in our program.are very valuable to the Refugee Language Program: we would have no Refugee Language Program without them! They are a group of very busy people who still can find the time and energy to give so much to our students.

Download volunteer application form

The Refugee Language Program issues a newsletter, Refugee Voices, that includes the latest news on The Program's staff, students, projects and events.

Download current edition of Refugee Voices (September 2007)

Lesley Carnus, the Co-ordinator, has over 20 years experience teaching adult migrants and refugees and has co-ordinated the Refugee Language Program for 4 years.

Lesley is usually available for enquiries on Tuesday and Wednesdays on:
93516796,
Or in her office,
Mackie Building K01,
Room 110,
University of Sydney.

and can be reached anytime by email on .