Students can lead the way in helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees feel welcome in their new schools. Share the “EVACUEE” tips below to make your school feel like home for those students who lost their homes to Katrina.

Empathize with how the evacuees are feeling. Imagine how you would feel if your home and community were destroyed, and you were forced to move into a shelter. Would you feel afraid, confused, embarrassed, angry, or all those things and more if this had happened to you? By empathizing with the evacuees, you will be better prepared to understand and respond to their emotional needs, not just their physical needs.

Voice your commitment to helping the evacuees in your community. Speak out about the importance of making evacuees welcome in your school. Speak up in support of programs to help the evacuees. And, most importantly, speak to the evacuees to let them know they are welcome in your school.

Ask the evacuees and the experts for insights into how you can help. Find out as much as you can about the special needs faced by evacuees in your area. Do the students have clothes, but not backpacks? You can be of greatest help by educating yourself about exactly what help is needed.

Connect with the individuals who have been evacuated. Don’t lose sight of the people behind the term “evacuee.” Each person touched by Katrina was, is, and always will be more than just an “evacuee.” By taking the time really to meet the new individuals at your school, you not only will make new friends, you’ll help your new friends reconnect with who they were before they became “evacuees.”

Usher in the normal. In addition to losing their homes, evacuees have lost “normal,” that comfortable routine we too often take for granted and call “boring.” Almost everything in the evacuees’ lives is different now. Help the evacuees discover a new sense of “normal” by being predictable. Always say “hi” at the same time and place every day; invite an evacuee to sit with you, at the same lunch table, every day. Be consistent, be boring, and be “normal.”

Empower the evacuees by involving them in your school activities. No one can prevent another hurricane; but you and your fellow students can do a lot to prevent violence in your community. Working to prevent other types of tragedy can help the new students in your school begin to overcome the sense of vulnerability they no doubt have felt since Katrina hit.

Encourage the evacuees to speak of their experiences. Talking about feelings is one of the best ways to heal. Be a good friend to the new students in your school by being a good listener.

Share your school with the evacuees. “School” is a lot more than just a building full of classrooms; “school” is people. Your school district opened the door of the classrooms to the evacuees. It’s up to you to open the door of your heart to them.

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