Loice Byler
Mrs. Byler is a student advisor and cultural navigator with the IU13. Mrs. Byler is passionate about welcoming new Americans (former refugees) who have resettled in her city. She advocates for culturally relevant education, trauma healing, accessible housing, employment, and community building. She has participated in advocacy for an office for new Americans at the state capital, and with senators, state representatives, and local leaders' offices.
Session: Snapshot into the Classroom
Wednesday Morning 2025
Welcome Home: Embracing New Americans in Our Neighborhoods
This presentation invites participants to reimagine what it means to truly say "Welcome Home" to New Americans—individuals and families who have arrived in our communities as refugees, fleeing war, persecution, and displacement. Drawing from compelling narratives, including the films The Gods Must Be Crazy and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the story of Tanitoluwa "Tani" Adewumi, and the parable of the elephant and the giraffe, we will examine how cultural misperceptions, system design, and empowerment intersect in the process of integration.
Speaker: Loice Byler