Help Refugee Youth Learn to Read This Summer!

This summer Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NOVA RAFT) and Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center will be running a literacy program for Afghan refugee middle and high school students living in Alexandria's West End. This program is run in partnership with the Alexandria City Public Schools and the Department of Recreation Parks and Cultural Activities and provides basic literacy instruction to middle and high school students reading below grade level. Many of our students have only recently arrived in the United States and have missed two or more years of school due to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. In addition to basic literacy training we also help the high school students with history and math. We also plan fun trips and events for them outside of classroom hours which volunteers can support as well.

The summer program will run from June 23 through August 8th and all volunteers will be provided with training before the beginning of the program. This opportunity is open to high school students. 

Classes will be held at Fernidad T. Day School on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 AM to noon and 12 PM to 2 PM and at William Ramsay Recreation Center from 6-8 PM on Tuesday and Thursday and 11 AM to 1 PM on Saturdays. We are looking for volunteers who can commit to at least two shifts per week. Volunteers will be assigned to support small groups of students and will usually work with one or more other volunteers.