The Refugee Education Center is thrilled to announce Tatum Hawkins as its new Philanthropy Director. Her dedication to creating positive change aligns seamlessly with the Refugee Education Center’s commitment to supporting refugees in their journey to become fully participating members of the West Michigan community.
Read MoreSince becoming a state, Michigan has welcomed a diversity of immigrants. This has shaped our resilient, compassionate, entrepreneurial, and community-oriented spirit. What is less known is that our state’s role as a landing spot for newcomers has never waned.
Read More
Meg Derrer comes to the Refugee Education Center with 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience in West Michigan, including serving as executive director of the Hope Network Foundation and in other director roles for several nonprofits throughout her career.
Read MoreThe Refugee Education Center grieves with our refugee community as we process the senseless killing of Congolese refugee Patrick Lyoya. Patrick’s death at the hands of a police officer has deeply affected a refugee community that has already been forced to flee acts of violence in their home countries.
Read More
New year, new look. We are so excited to share with you our new logo! It has been designed to honor the past, be reflective of our diversity, and embrace the wholeness of our mission….
Read More
We're excited and grateful to announce the Refugee Education Center has been chosen by Welcome.US.
Read More
This year has again proven the value of and need for community. Whether it’s interactions with family, friends, co-workers, or even simple interactions with a stranger at the grocery store, I have been buoyed by and craved connection after our lives were turned upside-down during the pandemic…
Read More
Are you familiar with the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child?” This African proverb strikes at the heart of what we believe at the Refugee Education Center. We believe no one person can possibly shoulder the responsibility of ensuring a child grows in a safe and healthy environment. For the refugee children we serve on a daily basis, this fact is magnified by the trauma they and/or their families have endured by fleeing their homes and rebuilding their entire lives in a new place, culture, language, and more.
Read More
Afghan arrivals have begun resettling in West Michigan, and the Refugee Education Center is working closely with our partners to ensure we can do our part to support these resilient families and individuals.
Read More
Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded the Refugee Education Center a $4,000 grant to support youth literacy initiatives. This local grant award is part of more than $3 million in grants awarded this fall to nearly 760 nonprofit organizations, libraries, and schools across the 46 states that Dollar General serves.
Read More
It’s bittersweet to say that another summer has come and gone. We loved having students back in person for our summer programs. While we are sad to see it come to an end, we are excited for all that is to come in the next school year!
Read More
As roughly 50,000 Afghan refugees begin resettling in communities across the country, we at the Refugee Education Center are excited to welcome any and all Afghan nationals.
Read More
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to intern with the Refugee Education Center and for the formative experience it’s been
Read More
To those who have emigrated from Afghanistan and now call West Michigan home, we offer you our support and well wishes of safety for your family members and friends who are caught in the middle of this crisis.
Read More
Our mission drives us to continue supporting the refugee community despite the challenges we faced in the last year. We are so proud of this community's resiliency and cannot wait to support their accomplishments in the coming year.
Read More
The Refugee Education Center teamed with Crooked Tree Stories to develop and publish two children’s short-story anthologies authored and illustrated by the brave refugee students supported by the Refugee Education Center. These creative and touching books take you inside the minds of refugee children, ages 6-14, as they grow into their new homes and draw on their lived experiences to tell stories of their hopes, fears, and good old-fashioned silliness!
Read More
The Refugee Education Center is celebrating the rebranding of our High School Transitions Program to the Graduate & Grow program!
Read More
Learn more about what the Refugee Education Center's services mean for local refugee students by reviewing our 2020 Annual Impact Report.
Read More
Through the generous support of the community, we exceeded our goal of raising $50,000 to establish the Community Support Fund!
Read More
Education is a vital pillar for success and our team is dedicated to supporting all ages of refugee students through this new virtual education landscape.
Read More