Education
Millions of refugee children are missing out on an education. Without an opportunity to learn, they risk becoming a lost generation with little chance for a better future. Through sustainable programs, our Fellows are working to ensure refugees can learn and develop the skills they need to succeed in life.
BH Fellow 2017 George Batah (Syria) As a high school student, George Batah was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship that enabled him to leave Syria and earn a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Having personally experienced the challenges Syrian students face applying for scholarships and colleges abroad, he founded Syrian Youth Empowerment, a program designed to prepare Syrian high school students for higher education. George’s program provides TOEFL and SAT preparation classes, as well as one-on-one mentoring, to guide students from the Middle East through the college application process. The goal is to ensure talented youth gain access to opportunities to attend top universities in the United States and elsewhere. George intends to grow the program, working with students to achieve their academic dreams. Location: Syria and Iraq |
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BH Fellows 2017 Alyssa Hoseman (Canada) and Mina Sharifi (Afghanistan/Canada) Mina Sharifi, an Afghan national, and Alyssa Hoseman, a Canadian, met through their work in Kabul, Afghanistan. They have partnered to create Sisters 4 Sisters Afghanistan, a hands-on personal development program for at-risk Afghan girls and women between the ages of 8 and 20. Sisters 4 Sisters uses four program areas to foster personal growth: work and problem solving, physical well-being, psychosocial development, and mentoring. The program will encourage young women to continue with school and join the workforce instead of entering marriage at a young age. By learning more about themselves, as well as successful women leaders, Sisters 4 Sisters will help the participants grow more confident and prepare to be successful adults – whether they are running household, businesses, or countries. Location: Afghanistan |
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BH Fellow 2017 Kathryn Zaniboni (The Netherlands) While volunteering as a teacher at a Bulgarian refugee camp, Kathryn noted the lack of support for teachers working in very difficult environments and their urgent need of specialized training and facilitated peer-to-peer support to better address their students' needs. Motivated to improve the resources available and to build a community of practice for this group of educators, she launched Team Up 2 Teach in March 2017. The program uses a human-centered design approach to bring together key stakeholders in the non-formal education space for displaced learners – including teachers, their students, administrators, ministry of education officials, UN agencies and other development professionals as well as experts in trauma sensitivity. By creating a digital "living guide", Kathryn provides a critical tool to identify gaps and develop contextualized content in the form of lessons, activities, workshops, projects, and modular curricula to support teachers in the field so that they can more effectively create a safe and supportive learning environment for their students. Location: Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia |
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