Education

A core focus of our mission to empower the resettled refugee community in Cleveland is education. Many refugees arrive in the United States with only a rudimentary understanding of the English language, and minimal knowledge of the operation of basic American social and financial systems. Receiving something as simple as a letter from a social support agency requesting basic information can be confusing and sometimes impossible to understand. Through various programs and collaborations, TRR strives to provide continual support of the education of resettled refugee families. Details about our programs are found below. Questions can be directed to Jillian Musarra, our education director.

Home tutoring

Launched in late 2009, our Home Tutoring Program, which started with a single family, has expanded a great deal. Currently, TRR volunteers are working in the homes of at least one refugee family every weeknight. This program aims to match one volunteer with either a student or adult, with whom they meet on a weekly basis to support language acquistion, schoolwork, and practical skills. Learn more >>

Local schools

TRR works closely with teachers and administrators at several local schools, including Lakewood City Schools, Urban Community School, and St. Joseph Academy. Due to lack of adequate education in the refugee camps these students are coming from, they cannot enter the grade level appropriate for their age when resettled in the United States. These local schools have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring the students' success, first by gauging the level at which a student should begin, and then by working diligently to ensure that each student makes sustained progress. Many teachers actively collaborate with Jillian Musarra, our education director, to advise areas of focus and strategies to be employed by TRR's Home Tutoring Program. Furthermore, both Urban Community School and St. Joseph Academy have offered tuition scholarships to several refugee students.

Fiscal Literacy Workshops

Charter One Bank has conducted several workshops focused on fiscal literacy and financial management. Initially, these workshops have been directed at trainees participating in REAP, but in the future, TRR is looking to work alongside Charter One to expand these workshops to the entire resettled refugee community.