Selected Research & Publications
Our consulting frameworks are directly informed by premier, peer-reviewed academic research on multilingual identity, refugee resilience, and trauma-informed instruction.
Excavating the Layers of Trauma in Homelands and Hostlands: Supporting Political Refugees in U.S. Schools
🏆 Recipient of the UCEA Paula Silver Case Award (2022) | Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership
The Focus: This award-winning article explores the layered trauma political refugees experience across both their countries of origin and their U.S. resettlement contexts.
Impact for School Leaders: Provides actionable insights for educators to recognize complex trauma and respond with systemic practices that protect student well-being and academic success.
👉 Read the article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1555458921997517
Accessing Educational Resources and Support: Newcomer Refugee Mothers’ Challenges and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Peer-Reviewed Article | Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies (2025)
The Focus: Examines how newcomer refugee mothers navigated severe barriers to educational access during a global crisis, highlighting their incredible resilience strategies.
Impact for School Leaders: A critical resource for districts seeking to strengthen their family engagement models and authentically partner with newcomer communities.
👉 Read the article: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2242
Understanding Multilingual/Multicultural Immigrant High Schoolers’ Multilayered Identities and Imagined Futures
Doctoral Dissertation | Montclair State University (2023)
The Focus: Explores how immigrant high schoolers navigate complex identities while envisioning their academic pathways, analyzing the intersection of language, culture, and social context.
Impact for School Leaders: Offers practical frameworks for fostering belonging and empowering diverse adolescents within secondary school settings.
👉 Read the dissertation: https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1281/
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World
Book Review | Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education (2019)
The Focus: An examination of justice-oriented teaching, exploring strategies to support MLLs while fostering equitable, inclusive practices.
👉 Access the review here: https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2019.1669016
Professional E-Learning Resources for Educators & Service Providers
These free tools, modules, and training materials were developed in partnership with leading resettlement and higher-education institutions. During her previous roles, including serving as Education Programs Manager at the New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR) and with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Dr. Akay contributed to, managed, or facilitated many of these initiatives. They are shared here to provide educators, tutors, and leaders with direct access to high-quality, field-tested resources.
Welcoming Afghan Families to Schools
by Rutgers University & The New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR)
Target audience: Educators, school leaders, and district staff welcoming newly arrived Afghan families.
What it offers: Explores Afghanistan’s history and cultures, offering practical, culturally responsive strategies for educators welcoming newly resettled Afghan families.
👉 Access the free resource HERE.
Healing Classrooms for Students Affected by Forced Migration (Classroom Management)
by Rutgers University & The New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR)
Target audience: K–12 educators and school staff supporting newcomer students affected by forced migration.
What it offers: Equips educators to apply the renowned Healing Classrooms approach, creating safe, trauma-informed learning environments for students.
👉 Take the free course HERE.
Tutor Training Resources
by IRC HQ & The New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR)
Target audience: Tutors, mentors, and tutoring programs serving newcomer students in New Jersey.
What it offers: Needs-based tutor training resources that prepare tutors and mentors to deliver high-quality support to forcibly displaced youth, as well as guidance and tools for agency staff to assist their tutors.
👉 Get Started: Take the Free E-Course | Download the Tutor Handbook.
Student Rights & Advocacy Toolkit
by IRC HQ & The New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR)
- Target Audience: Any program or individual helping a vulnerable child or youth navigate the New Jersey school system (caseworkers, program supervisors, managers, interns, and volunteers).
- What it offers: Equips practitioners with practical knowledge and strategies to navigate common challenges faced in delivering Educational Case Management services in New Jersey.
👉 Get Started: Access the FREE Main Toolkit, School Enrollment Checklist, and the School Enrollment Advocacy Compendium.
Additional Resources & E-Courses
By: International Rescue Committee (IRC) & New Jersey Office for Refugees (NJOR)
In addition to the featured e-courses above, these organizations offer further courses and practical tools designed for K–12 educators in New Jersey supporting newcomer students. Below are a few recommended highlights:
👉 Free Access:
- Toxic Stress and Well-Being Among Students Affected by Forced Migration
- Well-Being for Educators of Students Affected by Forced Migration: Introduction to Mindfulness.
Trusted Field Resources
We recommend the following organizations for their outstanding guidance and practical tools in supporting MLLs and newcomer families.
New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy (NJDOE): A vital initiative recognizing high school students who demonstrate proficiency in multiple languages, promoting multilingualism as an academic asset.
Colorín Colorado: A premier national multimedia project offering research-based classroom strategies and family guidance for supporting English Language Learners.
Limited Summer Series!!!☀️ The Responsive Leader’s Bookshelf
Yes, we have launched The Responsive Leader’s Bookshelf, a curated summer series designed to fuel your professional reflection, prevent educator burnout, and give you practical tools to build high-retention cultures of belonging.
👉 Transparency Note: I only recommend resources I truly believe add value to your leadership and educator journey. If you choose to purchase through the purchase links provided under each book, a small commission supports the curation of this bookshelf at no additional cost to you. Thank you for partnering in this learning community.
📬 Subscribers Always Hear It First
My newsletter community always gets early access to these resources (along with special discounts and perks). Every biweekly newsletter will feature a deep-dive breakdown, personal reflections, and key leadership takeaways from each text before they are archived here.
👉 Elevate your leadership journey. Join the Impact Community (link below) to receive these and more insights and curated resources directly to your inbox before anyone else :).
📚 The Responsive Leader’s Bookshelf | Spotlight #1
👉 "The Reasons Teachers Stay: Lessons from High-Retention Schools, Districts, and Communities" by Douglas B. Larkin and Suzanne Poole Patzelt (Harvard Education Press).
My Core Takeaway: Protecting our capacity requires an intentional ecosystem. Whether we are teaching language acquisition or managing community programs, we stay when our environments support and protect our well-being and honor our expertise.
📚 The Responsive Leader’s Bookshelf | Spotlight #2
👉 "Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well" by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen (Penguin Books).
My Core Takeaway: Protecting our capacity requires emotional clarity. Whether we are leading a team, managing an adult classroom, or navigating professional growth, friction is inevitable. We thrive when we learn to untangle critique from our identity and treat feedback simply as data.
📚 The Responsive Leader’s Bookshelf | Spotlight #3
👉 "Trauma-Sensitive Schools: Learning Communities, Transforming Children's Lives, K-5" by Susan E. Craig (Teachers College Press).
My Core Takeaway: Building a trauma-sensitive school is a collaborative, building-wide effort. When administrators and staff align around shared systems and predictable routines, we protect educator bandwidth and create the relational safety students need to engage and thrive academically. Regulated classrooms aren't an optional add-on; they are the foundation for learning.
Professional Use & Continued Learning
These resources are provided to support informed, equity-driven practices in K-12 and agency settings. We encourage educators to engage with these materials and adapt the insights to their specific community contexts.
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