Refugee Education & EMPOWERMENT NETWORK (REEN) Launch meeting overview

Written By River Nile School

Hello wonderful Refugee Education & Empowerment Network (REEN) Members, 

What a moment it was last week, launching our very first Victorian Refugee Education & Empowerment Network. 

For those who were able to attend the launch meeting, it was amazing to have you in the space and incredibly inspiring to see such passion and expertise from many different sectors present! We thank you for the work you are doing and your ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for young people from refugee backgrounds. 

It was great to be able to learn about the different people in the room, share information about the convening organisations, frame the network in understanding refugee experiences and the goals and aspirations of the network, explore River Nile School as a case study, and most importantly, to centre the network in youth voices as we heard from the inspirational young women of River Nile School. 

For those who were unable to make it to the launch meeting, we look forward to welcoming you and meeting you in future network meetings across 2026. 

It was the start of something special, and it is galvanising to think about the learning we can all share with one another and the collective impact we can have, together with young people, their families and their communities. 

In this email, you will find resources and key information that were both shared in the meeting, and which arose from the chat and discussions. 

Launch Meeting Resources

REEN Convener Information 

Information was shared about the three convening organisations - Foundation House, Refugee Education and River Nile School. 

Here's some key links and resources shared in the meeting, as well as key contact for any queries, for each organisation: 

Foundation House 

Refugee Education Australia 

River Nile School 

River Nile School Enrolment Information 

There were some inquiries from meeting attendees requesting enrolment information for River Nile School. 

  • To find out more about Eligibility Requirements, click here. We are also happy to discuss and provide guidance around individual cases/referrals by reaching out to Francine (contact details above). 

  • If you have a young person who would like to come check River Nile School out and/or make an inquiry, you can book an individual tour or make an enquiry online. 

River Nile School Open Day for Young People in Mainstream Schools

We’re excited to invite you and your students to our upcoming Open Day, designed especially for young women currently enrolled in mainstream schools who may be exploring new or alternative learning pathways or who would benefit from a smaller, more personalised school environment and community.

📅 Tuesday 18 November

🕚 11:30am – 2:00pm

📍 River Nile School, Level 1/117 Capel Street North Melbourne

Program
11:30 – 11:40 Welcome & Meet the Staff
11:40 – 12:00 Information Session (Programs & Approach)
12:00 – 12:15 Interactive Activity
12:15 – 12:45 School Tour
12:45 – 1:15 Q&A + Enrolment EOIs
1:15 – 2:00 Lunch & Informal Conversations

If you have any students who might be interested in learning more about River Nile School, please share the attached flyer with them and their families. Families and school staff are warmly welcome to attend.

To RSVP, simply scan the QR code on the flyer or register directly here:

👉 Event RSVP Link

Certificate of Participation (for Professional Development) 

If you were in attendance at the launch meeting on Thursday 23rd October and would like a certificate of participation to contribute to your professional development hours, please email Francine.Sculli@rivernileschool.vic.edu.au to request a certificate. 

Suggestions

There were a few great suggestions from attendees at our launch meeting about setting up a shared contact list for network members and a sharing platform for members to distribute information about programs and initiatives of interest to the network. We will explore options for setting these up and will communicate information with you all in the near future! 

2026 Network Dates - Save the Dates 

We have finalised the dates for our 2026 quarterly network meetings. Meetings will be online via zoom, but we will aim to have one of the meetings as an in-person gathering and will seek your input to determine the best day term for this. 

For now, please save the dates for 2026, and stay tuned for the Humanitix event registration link in the coming month! 

Term 1, 2026: Thursday 26th February 2026, 9AM-11AM 

Term 2, 2026: Thursday 7th May 2026, 9AM-11AM

Term 3, 2026: Thursday 30th July 2026, 9AM-11AM

Term 4, 2026: Thursday 22nd October 2026, 9AM-11AM

Opportunity of Interest - Deakin University Open Day for students from Refugee Backgrounds 

Deakin University are running a 'Refugee Student Day' for Year 10 students and their families to give then an insight into what universities have to offer. It is scheduled for November 20th and Deakin have arranged 2 buses to leave from Dandenong Station at 9am and return at 3.30pm.  Lunch provided. More information included in the attached flyer and queries can be directed to Karen Dunwoodie - k.dunwoodie@deakin.edu.au

Deepest gratitude on behalf of River Nile School, Foundation House & Refugee Education Australia. 

River Nile School