WES Blog

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 […]

In September, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund announced the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. The Opportunity Challenge is a joint grantmaking initiative launched by the Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation to identify solutions that support the success of immigrants and refugees and create a more […]

From just about any vantage point, 2020 has been a volatile year. A global pandemic has led to more than a million deaths worldwide—and caused massive economic disruption. In the United States, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police led to a national reckoning over the continued reality of systemic racism and inequality. Adding […]

The WES Mariam Assefa Fund launched in the U.S. in 2019 as the only philanthropic initiative focused exclusively on economic inclusion and mobility for immigrants and refugees in North America. Our intent was always to extend our work beyond the U.S. and into Canada. But we knew that being effective in the Canadian context would […]

The Opportunity Challenge—the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and Tarsadia Foundation’s first ever open-call grant challenge—resulted in 400+ submissions from organizations offering a diverse range of solutions and innovations that support the success of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In September, after an exhilarating five-month application and selection process, we were thrilled to announce […]

The Puget Sound region, located along the northwestern coast of the state of Washington, spans miles of coastline, agricultural lands, and bustling cities, offering a vast array of landscapes and attractions. Its population, too, is diverse—one in seven Washington residents is an immigrant,¹ and the region’s cities boast a broad spectrum of languages and cultures. […]

In September, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund announced the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. The Opportunity Challenge is a joint grantmaking initiative launched by the Fund and Tarsadia Foundation to identify solutions that support the success of immigrants and refugees and create a more inclusive economy. The finalists and several semi-finalist organizations were awarded a […]

Have you been thinking about going back to school in Canada? If you recently settled into your new life in Canada, but you’re having trouble taking your career to the next level, then you might need to acquire new skills or earn additional credentials. Know Your Academic Standing Want to verify your international credentials in […]

Virtual Hiring During COVID-19 COVID-19 has drastically altered the employment landscape in Canada. Although the year began with the country’s lowest unemployment rate in decades, Canada is now experiencing increasingly high unemployment and underemployment as businesses grapple with restructuring in the wake of the pandemic. For human resources (HR) professionals, this restructuring has resulted in […]

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 […]

In early March, the Opportunity Challenge, a joint grantmaking initiative of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation, sought to identify solutions to create an inclusive economy in the U.S.—one that addresses the supports that immigrants need to achieve economic mobility. In September, we were thrilled to announce the 12 awardees of the Opportunity Challenge, chosen out of an applicant pool of 470 organizations. […]

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 […]

Ensuring that immigrants and refugees reach their professional and educational goals in the United States is crucial to the vitality of local communities and the overall economy, especially during the current critical period of economic recovery. A robust national immigrant and refugee integration strategy will pave the way for professional advancement opportunities for immigrants and […]

In response to COVID-19, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and Tarsadia Foundation have doubled their financial commitment to the Opportunity Challenge, a grantmaking initiative to support the success of immigrant and refugee workers in the U.S. NEW YORK – September 24, 2020 – The World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation today announced 12 awardees of the Opportunity […]

By Monica Munn and Jina Krause-Vilmar The impacts of COVID-19, including the downturn in our economy, have collided along persistent and predictable racial and socioeconomic fault lines in the United States.  Poor communities, immigrants, and people of color are among those most affected.  It’s clear that the ability to overcome this pandemic and safely reopen […]

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 […]

Newcomers to Canada—especially those with precarious immigration status, many of whom already lived in a state of economic uncertainty—have been hard-hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Indeed, according to a recent study by the Labour Market Information Council, a non-profit research institute, “the rate of job loss among immigrants far surpasses that of Canadian-born – […]

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 […]

WES Mariam Assefa Fund Speaks with Cristina Alaniz, Student Analyst at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation  Immigrants and refugees have been uniquely impacted by COVID-19. Both groups have disproportionately filled roles on the front lines of the pandemic and remain least likely to access benefits such as relief programs or unemployment insurance. […]

For the coming academic year, many colleges and universities are hosting their classes online in Canada and the U.S. This is particularly unfortunate for many international students who were planning to travel to North America this fall and experience the joy of studying abroad while also pursuing their education. However, there are still many ways […]