William Henry Burkhart Elementary

The school that opened its doors and heart to refugees from Myanmar

William Henry Burkhart Elementary, a public school in Indianapolis, Indiana, US, has been a shining example of the American spirit of community in its effort to welcome and support refugees from Myanmar. Despite the sudden surge in school enrollment, leading to 46% of the students being English Learners, the school partnered with local community groups and adapted its instructional model to create a comprehensive and accessible support system.

Over the last decade, the influx of refugee children has brought a 160% increase in the number of English Learner students to Burkhart, and 84% of its students are eligible for free/reduced price meals. Less quantifiable have been the children’s social and emotional needs.

Few of the new families had more than one set of clothes, for example, and those clothes were rarely well-suited to the harsh, Indiana winters, so teachers collected coats, shoes, and other clothing to help and to foster a strong relationship. At the same time, Principal Darlene Hardesty, who was a 5th-grade teacher when the refugees first began to arrive, attended professional training to learn how best to support students' language and academic needs.

To this end, and to scale Hardesty’s efforts, Burkhart partnered with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). Together, they developed systems and structures to provide the rest of the teachers with meaningful and impactful instructional support. This led to a co-teaching model, where an additional, “translator” teacher helped during classroom lessons. Through weekly, teacher-led professional learning "cluster" meetings, the school's culture became more collaborative, allowing teachers, teacher assistants, and school translators to work closely together in addressing student needs.

Despite the high number of English Learner students, Burkhart is regularly recognised for excellence in education, even ranking 3rd in its district for overall proficiency. But its true impact is best illustrated by the story of one current instructional tutor-translator who first arrived at the school in 4th grade as one of the refugee children. After overcoming her personal challenges, the student decided to return as an educator, giving back to the school that shaped her success.

If William Henry Burkhart Elementary wins the World's Best School Prize for Community Collaboration, it plans to establish a lasting college scholarship fund. This scholarship will be awarded to a former Burkhart student who has overcome adversity, inspiring current students. The scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to share their stories with current students, motivating them in their future endeavours.