Through the support of the International Travel Grant, I had the opportunity to travel to Lesvos, Greece to begin data collection for my dissertation, titled, "Learning amidst Liminality: Education Access for Asylum-Seeking Children at the Borderlands of the Global North". In Lesvos, I collaborated with several NGOs that provide educational activities and resources to adults and children who are seeking asylum and residing in Mavrovouni refugee camp (formerly known as "Moria"). Working with these NGOs, I was able to conduct interviews with parents of school-age children to learn more about the challenges to education access, formal and informal education opportunities for people seeking asylum, and how liminality and criminalizing aspects of the asylum system influence parents' decisions around their children's education. Additionally, I interviewed NGO workers in Lesvos who helped provide educational, medical, and psychological support to parents and children in the asylum system. 

Reflecting on the first part of my data collection in Greece, I am grateful to have completed these interviews, built a relationship with an interpreter, and completed several hours of participant observation at the NGOs. I look forward to continuing this comparative research in Lesvos through March, and conducting research on education access for people seeking asylum on the US-Mexico border in the spring and summer.