Event helps Utah refugee students, families prepare for upcoming school year

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Kids in Utah are gearing up to head back to school this month.

A back-to-school night was held Tuesday at Granite Park Junior High School to help Utah’s refugee children and families get all the necessary supplies for the new school year.

Tetini Kamanova was born and raised in the western part of Ukraine.

She left home with her three children in March of 2022, shortly after the war with Russia started.

“It was my first time when I left Ukraine. It was heartbreaking… It was hard for my children,” said Kamanova. “We really think we will [go] back to Ukraine, but war doesn’t stop and we decided we need to do something because we need to think about our children, and we decided to move to America.”

Kamanova has been in the United States for two years. On Tuesday, she came to check the back-to-school night.

“It’s really awesome because I really feel this support and love from people who organize this,” said Kamanova.

Organizers say the event gets bigger every year. This year, they expected 2,000 people to come though, up from 900 in 2023.

“It just makes me feel like going to school again,” said 11-year-old Khairat Yassin.

Yassin says her parents are refugees from Africa.

She is getting ready to start the sixth grade and was pretty excited to get a new pink backpack.

“I feel like it’s important because some people out there can’t afford backpacks, and you get free backpacks here,” said Yassin.

Tuesday’s event was put on by the Granite School District, in collaboration with the Utah Refugee Connection.

“This is I think our ninth year doing this annual back-to-school event,” said Amy Dott Harmer, the executive director of Utah Refugee Connection. “All of these backpacks… are given by someone in the community that wants refugees to feel like they’re safe, they’re seen and they’re supported.”

Harmer told FOX 13 News on Tuesday that there are 65,000 refugees in Utah. She says about 70% of the refugee population is in the Granite School District currently.

“We’re so grateful to have them here, and so this is the least we can do to help them get started in school,” said Shawn Nielson, the associate director of family and community engagement with the school district.

Whether it was getting back to school supplies, some new shoes or to just come out and enjoy the event, those who turned out say they are grateful.

“We feel belong here and loved and helped. Thank you,” said Kamanova.

Harmer says they had about 100 volunteers helping orchestrate Tuesday’s event. She says they do about five major events every year, including a Christmas event and one for International Women’s Day.