Cultivating postsecondary aspirations in immigrant and refugee families through community education, engagement, and empowerment

Community-based and participatory action research partnerships between community organizations and postsecondary institutions offer powerful possibilities for expanding educational opportunity, capacity building, and social change. When family members of the local community are included in such partnerships, opportunities for equity-focused transformation becomes even greater. The purpose of this article is to describe a community partnership between the University of Denver and RISE Colorado, including family members from local Burmese, Nepali, and Spanish-speaking immigrant and refugee communities. We offer an overview of the methodology, process, and purpose of the research partnership, highlighting the importance of collaborating with and centering community knowledge and cultural ways of knowing among refugee communities.