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Three Actions Philanthropic Funders Can Take to Advance Equity for Immigrant and Refugee Workers
Last week, Philanthropy New York published a piece by WES Mariam Assefa Fund Senior Director Monica Munn. The post shares insights and recommended actions funders can take to help ensure an economy that is more inclusive of immigrants and refugees. Since the onset of COVID-19, immigrant women like Leonor Albarran, a janitor in Santa Monica, […]
Announcing the Semi-Finalists of the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities
Today, we are thrilled to announce the 20 semi-finalists of the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities. Each one of these organizations is leading crucial initiatives that support the success of immigrants and refugees and strive toward building an economy that works for all. While much of the country was going into lockdown, the Opportunity Challenge launched in March as a joint grantmaking initiative […]
Amid a Massive Public Outcry, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Rescinds Policy Mandating In-Person Learning for International Students in the U.S.
Jacki Esposito |
On July 14, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement retracted guidance that would have required international students in the U.S. to attend in-person classes or face deportation. Despite the federal government’s decision to withdraw the policy, international students outside the U.S. remain unable to obtain visas if their school […]
IELTS Indicator: The English Test You Can Take at Home
Roshan Patroo |
Many people have had to put their education and plans on hold, due to the global pandemic and government restrictions. For example, you might have postponed your English proficiency test. That’s because many English tests, like the IELTS, are traditionally completed in person, in a group classroom setting. Therefore, IELTS partners introduced a new solution […]
Answers: Your Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions in 2020
WES Advisor |
We know that applicants have a lot of questions about how the pandemic has affected business operations at WES. In this blog post, we have compiled some of your most frequently asked questions about our credential evaluation process and provided the latest answers. For example, you can learn about current timelines for processing mail, as […]
Equitable Recovery for Immigrants and Refugees: Key Takeaways from WES’ Twitter Chat
Immigrants and refugees play vital roles on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 and will continue playing essential roles to keep the U.S. moving forward. The need to address longstanding barriers to economic mobility faced by many immigrants and refugees today is therefore clear. As we look to rebuild the economy, we must ensure that the needs of immigrant and refugee workers are addressed and […]
Early Insights and Ideas from the Opportunity Challenge
At the end of May, the application portal closed for the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities. This was the first open grant challenge for both the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation. The Opportunity Challenge was jointly launched in response to the resounding need to surface and expand impactful community-led […]
Ziad’s Story: From International Student to Professional Engineer in Canada
WES Advisor |
Ziad Ajweh is a Building Safety Code Officer at the City of Edmonton. He moved to Canada as an international student nearly a decade ago, and obtained a Master of Science in construction engineering and management here. Ziad recently received the title of Professional Engineer (P.Eng.). This blog post traces Ziad’s immigration story and the challenges he overcame as a newcomer to enter a regulated profession in a new country. Despite COVID-19, Ziad remains […]
Fund Awards $1.35 Million in Grants to Support Career Pathways for Immigrants and Refugees Amid Pandemic
The WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic arm of World Education Services (WES), today announced the award of $1.35 million in grants to enable immigrant and refugee workers to advance in the workforce of today and tomorrow and build strong careers that support their families and themselves. The three grant recipients are Building Skills Partnership […]
Stories of Immigrants: Niurka Melendez
Wilma Lee |
The Stories of Immigrants Project began as a way for employees at World Education Services (WES) to become more involved with the company’s mission and learn more about the immigrants and refugees who we work to support every day. Over the course of a year, the project blossomed into something more meaningful than we could […]
How to Visit College Campuses Remotely
Emily Toffelmire |
Even though you may not be able to go on in-person college visits now, there are many things you can do at home to determine if a prospective school is a good fit for you. For example, you can interact with the school on their website, via email, and on social media not only to […]
Generating Long-Term Change Through Effective Legislation
Fatima Sanz |
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the existing strains on the U.S. health care system and underscored the critical need to integrate qualified immigrants and refugees into the health workforce. Across the country, an estimated 263,000 immigrants and refugees with health care training are unable to obtain licensure in the U.S. Of these, 165,000 people earned their credentials outside the U.S. but must meet onerous, time-consuming, and costly requirements, including […]