On Monday, 4 April 2022, I represented Their Story is Our Story at the George Washington University (GW) campus as No Lost Generation-GW launched their Refugee Awareness Week. University campuses are some of the most vibrant centers for bridging learning with activism. For students who want to learn more and support refugee children and adolescents, No Lost Generation (NLG) provides a channel for students on many campuses to get involved. Recently through No Lost Generation’s efforts, GW passed an initiative to expand enrollment of students with refugee backgrounds. Other university students throughout the U.S. are supporting refugee resettlement through the Every Campus a Refuge initiative where university campuses host newly arrived refugee families and support them in their resettlement.
It was energizing to talk to savvy students and strengthen our relationship with our community partners NoVa Friends of Refugees, One Journey Festival, Lutheran Social Services (LSSNCA), Jesuit Refugee Service, UNHCR, and Safe Haven Space. TSOS applauds all the ways university students are helping to create welcoming and inclusive communities. If you are a university student (or know one), we hope you will get involved in the TSOS internship program, volunteer with one of our community partners, or start a refugee initiative at a campus near you.
Their Story is Our Story Applauds the Signing of Virginia House Bill 995 and Continues Efforts to Open Doors for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals in Other States
Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), a non-profit organization that collects and shares the experiences of refugees to deepen understanding and influence action, applauds the signing of Virginia House Bill 995 into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after its unanimous passage through the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. It will create a pathway for foreign-trained doctors who have immigrated to the state, including those whose careers were interrupted by forcible displacement, to fill workforce gaps in medically underserved communities.
Idaho One Refugee Conference
Last fall I was able to attend the 1Refugee Conference in Idaho. The event was well organized and everyone who approached our table was interested in what we did and wanted to know how to get involved. There were at least 100 students majoring in a variety of things who attended the event and we had 20 students give us their contact information. Most were interested in our internship programs.
TSOS Joins Panel Discussion at National Conference to Advocate for Refugee Doctors
Their Story is Our Story (TSOS) was privileged to participate inECDC’s 2023 National Conference, August 23-24, 2023. Addressing the theme “Hope and Resilience,” both local and national leaders and advocates responded to the challenges of the past few years and looked forward to the future of refugee resettlement with a renewed sense of optimism.