Half of the refugees and immigrants served by the IRC in Silver Spring are children. To support them, the IRC enrolls refugee youth in school upon their arrival in the United States, orients parents to the U.S. education system, and supports refugee students’ academic success through afterschool tutoring and extracurricular activities like field trips. This December, the IRC in Silver Spring took 24 refugee high school students on a field trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.  

Curious students explored fossils, insects and mammals, and the history of human origins. Students were inspired to find items from their home countries featured at the museum, including students from Eritrea and Cameroon who discovered historical art and activism pieces in the African Voices exhibit.  

IRC youth at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
IRC youth at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Photo: Megan Ward/IRC Staff