Students in Maryland have to complete 75 service hours in order to graduate from high school. In order to support the students in their academic endeavors, the IRC in Silver Spring organizes activities to ensure that students are on-track to succeed academically and achieve their goals.  

This spring break, the IRC in Silver Spring took 20 refugee students on a volunteering trip to the Bladensburg Waterfront Park. While volunteering, the students mixed compost for gardening, planted flowers and cleaned debris from the Anacostia River. The students were excited to learn that such a resource was so close to them and some even made plans to bring their families back to explore the area. 

The IRC assists refugee students throughout the process of attaining higher education, from completing financial aid applications to looking for scholarships, as a mentor and guide. Over spring break, the IRC brought refugee high school students on field trips to Prince George’s Community College and the University of Maryland. During the trips, students had the opportunity to tour each campus and spoke with college officials about financial aid, student activities and academic programs. One high school senior is looking forward to beginning at the University of Maryland in the Fall pursuing a degree in computer science while several other high school juniors attending the trip feel encouraged to begin their applications.