Modesto Junior College instructor Emma Berdino didn’t have much hope when she learned her ESL class would be forced to go online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   Many of her students, all women from Afghanistan recruited by the IRC in Turlock, were too tech-challenged to use a phone app to complete their homework prior to the viral outbreak.   “Most weren’t able to figure it out,” she said. “I thought, oh my goodness, we’re totally going to lose this class, because they’re not going to be able to do it.”  Berdino is grateful to be wrong, as nearly two-thirds of her students continue to take the course remotely after going exclusively online. 

Zubaidah, an Iraqi refugee, chose to support her community during the pandemic.

A joint brief on the situation for unaccompanied and separated children in Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia

With the help of the IRC’s EU-funded safe spaces, Ameera can have a support network to deal with the aftermath of displacement and war.

Meet the people on the frontlines of the devastating crisis.

The IRC in Missoula is proud to regularly collaborate with the University of Montana School of Social Work to provide practicum opportunities for social work students at the Bachelor's and Master's level. This year, we've been lucky to work alongside 4 students who've made great contributions to our organization. Two practicum students, Whitney (MSW) and Renna (BSW), took a moment to reflect on their experience working with new Americans and the IRC. 

Three years after Afghanistan’s change of government, millions across the country are enduring a humanitarian crisis. This is what the international community can do to help.

Amidst the journeys undertaken by numerous asylum seekers across the Americas in pursuit of safety and security, they encounter a significant challenge: the lack of reliable information to alleviate their hardships. Hence, the IRC supports displaced people on their journey by facilitating access to digital platforms where they can encounter information and services they need.

Find out what Ukrainians need to survive winter and what the IRC is doing to help.

Cultivating welcome and integration is a collective effort. Together, we are turning hope into action in our communities. Join us in getting to know how IRC Employment Specialist Mawada Ibrahim partners with employers to transform lives.