Since 1980 the U.S. has been resettling on average 80,000 refugees annually of whom 35 to 40% are children. This collaborative research course introduces students to concepts related to forced migration with a focus on the experiences of refugee, asylee, and immigrant children. In the first part of the course we will read key texts which discuss the definition of refugee vs. immigrant, refugee camp experiences, and the three permanent solutions for refugees outlined by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with a particular emphasis on resettlement in third countries. Students will learn how the youth whom they will encounter in the virtual service learning component of the class experience transitions from their origin countries to a new society. We will discuss questions of integration & inclusion, considering the needs of Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). Ultimately the course will juxtapose theory & practice and by doing so, knowledge will be mutually reinforced and enriched. The class includes a mandatory virtual service learning component. Students will choose between three different NGOs where they will virtually volunteer with refugee/asylee/immigrant youth and families in educational programs (tutoring, after school assistance, literacy, US citizenship exam preparations) 1.International Rescue Committee (mostly newly arrived asylee youth) 2.MASA (Mexican American youth in the South Bronx) 3.Napela (Liberian refugee families in Staten Island).There will be an information session in December for interested students to go over logistical components of the course & the requirements for volunteering.