Refugee and immigrant youth are unfamiliar with the culture, environment, and expectations of American schools. War, displacement, and trauma have often interrupted their educational and social development, making the transition to a new place and a new school—a transition that would be difficult for any young person—especially hard. Yet refugee and immigrant youth remain, despite difficult circumstances, full of talent, hope, and the desire to learn.   

A mentor can have a tremendous positive impact on the ability of a refugee or immigrant student to fulfill his or her potential:

• Mentors help refugee students understand how to succeed in their new school environment—but, academic guidance and encouragement are only the beginning.
• Mentors also act as positive role models for students in a number of other ways:
  • Taking them to business meetings
  • Helping them prepare for getting a job
  • Introducing them to arts and culture
  • Engaging with them in healthy recreational activities
• Mentors support refugee and immigrant students by helping them adjust to their new home, by sharing their knowledge with them, and by being a positive, caring role model.

Please get involved and become a mentor:

Contact Emily Barbee, ReWA's Youth Program Lead Teacher, at (206) 721-0243 or Emily@rewa.org.