FORA: Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America

This #WomensHistoryMonth, FORA celebrates resilience, courage, and the power of storytelling through four incredible books?recommended by our students: - El Deafo?by Cece Bell – A powerful graphic memoir about growing up deaf, navigating friendships, and embracing one’s identity.? - Amina’s Voice?by Hena Khan – A heartfelt novel about a Pakistani American girl finding confidence in her voice while balancing cultural identity and friendship.? - Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight?by Karyn Parsons – This picture book follows the inspiring journey of the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license, breaking barriers in aviation. ?-?Front Desk?by Kelly Yang –?A story of a persevering young immigrant girl navigating her family’s motel while vocally standing up for feminism and immigrant rights. These stories remind us of the importance of?representation?in literature, which?is essential in uplifting and inspiring?younger girls?to embrace their own unique stories!? Who inspires you the most? Drop a name in the comments!? ?#WomenEmpowerment #FORAReads

Learning at FORA is fun, especially with the help of engaging education apps and games for all ages! According to a 2023 Forbes article, educational apps like the ones FORA uses in its curriculum “can use adaptive learning algorithms to cater to individual learning styles and paces. These algorithms adjust educational content to the needs and abilities of each learner, offering tailored on-demand academic resources. This can make education more student-centric, increasing engagement and retention” (Forbes). Some of the apps used by our students include Dreambox, Frax, and Aleks for math; Power Up, Core5, and Knowji for reading; and Rosetta stone for our English language learners. Students who participate in our lego robotics activities have also begun coding through Scratch, the MIT designed programming language. Everyday, education technology at FORA helps students stay engaged and have fun while flourishing on their educational journeys! Learn how you can support our students today: https://lnkd.in/g-88JNR3

Last year our FORA students showed remarkable growth in their percentile ranks for national standardized tests in both reading and math! We are so proud of our students' achievements and are excited for a new year of progress. To find out more about how you can support a student on their educational journey visit refugeefora.org.

Today, we're highlighting our incredible Outreach Officer, Alia Mnayer!? As part of our Outreach team, Alia's role is essential in connecting with diverse communities, fostering relationships, and ensuring that students and tutors feel supported and included. She is the welcoming presence that greets everyone who walks through our doors. We’re so grateful for the dedication and hard work our staff put in to bring our mission to life.?Thank you, Alia!

FORA was closed for the first week of March in observance of Ramadan, a sacred month in the Islamic calendar and a significant holiday for many in our community. During Ramadan, many fast from dawn to dusk to deepen their spiritual connection. Throughout the month of March, FORA operates on a special Ramadan schedule, with tutoring sessions held only from 4:30-6:30 pm. This special schedule allows students to attend tutoring while still having time to break their fast and enjoy Iftar with their friends and family. Ramadan Mubarak, and welcome back! #FORACommunity #InclusiveEducation

Summer is near, and so are exciting internship opportunities at FORA! Meet some of our current interns and learn about the meaningful work they do to support refugee education and empowerment. Whether you're passionate about tutoring, outreach, or advocacy, we have internships tailored to your?interests. If you're ready to make an impact, we'd love to have you join us! The deadline for submissions is April 15th at 5:00pm CST. For any questions, email our Outreach Coordinator, Giulianna Larson, at?[email protected]. #Internships #FORAisFun #EducationForAll #MakeADifference

Ramadan Mubarak! Wishing you a month filled with peace, kindness, and reflection. #RamadanMubarak #FORAFamily #RamadanKareem

Learning goes beyond tutoring here at FORA! Our new article shines a light on FORA's chapter of Girl Up, a "girl-centered leadership development initiative, focusing on equity for girls and women where they are unheard or underrepresented" (Girl Up). Read more about how this program gives our students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, gain more self-confidence, and strengthen their sense of community at refugeefora.org/updates or at the link in our bio. #GirlUp #EmpowermentInAction #WomenInLeadership #CommunityBuilding

SLIFE students experience gaps in their education due to various life circumstances. At FORA, we are dedicated to providing them with the support and resources they need to succeed. ???? #SLIFE #EducationForAll #SupportStudents

??????This past Saturday 15 students from FORA’s VEX robotics program competed in a VEX V5 event at the Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. After 5 dedicated months spent coding and building their robots from scratch, our students triumphed and two took home a Judge’s Awards! The award is given to teams that demonstrate “special attributes, exemplary effort or perseverance at the event” as well as “effective communication skills, teamwork, professionalism, and a student-centered ethos” (VEX). Congratulations to our students for their hard work and impressive accomplishments in competition, and THANK YOU to all of the incredible volunteers and tutors that make this program possible. Next up: our K-5 lego robotics program is in full swing! Stay tuned for updates! ??????