Whose education counts? Exploring the educational needs of newcomer youth in Calgary, Alberta

Canada’s growing immigration rates have contributed to Calgary’s increasingly diverse population. Over one-third of Calgary’s residents are immigrants, many of whom are youth. These newcomer youth encounter a well-documented range of systemic and social barriers that impede their educational success and overall well-being, such as limited English proficiency, discrimination, and inadequate institutional support. However, considerations of current solutions to these barriers, particularly relationship dynamics between community-based organizations and schools, remain understudied for newcomer youth. Thus, an examination of the intersection between educational issues and broader supports is warranted. Using a community-based research framework, this study examines the educational challenges and supports for newcomer youth in Calgary in partnership with two local community organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants (12 stakeholders and 8 newcomer youth) and analyzed using a hybrid thematic analysis. Four key themes were generated: (1) Language and Culture as Sites of Exclusion; (2) Austerity in the Classroom; (3) Community-Based Organizations as “The Bridge”; and (4) Solutions Moving Forward. Findings offer a multidimensional understanding of the structural and interpersonal barriers newcomer youth face, highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration in building trauma-informed and culturally responsive supports for their educational and settlement trajectories.