Teaching Note—The United States Department of State Diplomacy Lab for Supporting MSW Students’ Engagement in Community-Based Refugee Resettlement Research

ABSTRACT

The authors consider the U.S. Department of State Diplomacy Lab as a venue for research instruction of graduate social work students in advancing practice with refugees, especially in understanding their contributions to community quality of life, which served as the focus of the lab. The first author, the instructor of the course, worked with Master of Social Work students in implementing the one-semester Diplomacy Lab in a community located in the southern region of the United States. The authors identify the tension the instructor faced in ensuring student involvement in the inquiry even though she undertook significant presemester activities in establishing the feasibility of the project since the U.S. Department of State required its project completion in one semester.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors recognize the support of the U.S. Department of State Office of Refugee Resettlement and the funding of the Diplomacy Lab by the University of Oklahoma College of International Studies. (IRB #8264: Refugee Impact Project in USA.)

Notes on contributors

Chie Noyori-Corbett

Chie Noyori-Corbett, PhD, is associate professor in the University of Oklahoma Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, Norman, Oklahoma. David P. Moxley, PhD, is director and professor in the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work, Anchorage, Alaska.