WES Blog

In 2020, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund joined Toronto’s Workforce Funder Collaborative (TWFC) alongside six other philanthropic funders: The Counselling Foundation of Canada, JPMorgan Chase, Metcalf Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation, United Way Greater Toronto, and TD Bank Group. This newly formed collaborative, the first of its kind in Canada, enables funders to combine philanthropic resources […]

Charles, a client of IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity. Photo courtesy of IRC-CEO. Access to banking and financial services enables economic mobility. However, many refugees and immigrants in the United States face barriers to affordable financing, especially when they are new to the country and haven’t yet established their credit history. Improving financial access and […]

As we enter a new year, many international students and immigrants are eager to move forward with their plans to study, work, and live in the United States and Canada. World Education Services (WES) would like to help you achieve those goals. We’ve rounded up some of the most important information you’ll need in order […]

On December 15, World Education Services (WES) brought immigrant serving-organizations together for a Twitter chat to discuss funding for and investing in organizations and solutions that enable immigrants and refugees to thrive. The conversation focused on how to drive more capital toward creating a more inclusive economy. More than 40 individuals and organizations joined us […]

As 2020 drew to a close, a diverse group of service providers and partner agencies gathered virtually at the third annual Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) convening to reflect on a historic year and pave pathways forward on behalf of internationally trained immigrant and refugee professionals. The convening was held in conjunction with the first […]

This fall, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund and the Tarsadia Foundation hosted a three-part webinar series, Storytelling for Social Impact. The series was offered to all who applied to the Opportunity Challenge: $1 Million to Uplift Immigrant Communities, a joint, open grantmaking initiative launched last spring to support the success of immigrants and refugees and […]

In the fall of 2019, Canadian employers grappled with one of the tightest job markets in recent history. As a result, employers in Toronto were eager to expand their recruitment efforts and fill widening labour gaps. Leveraging a model championed by Starbucks Canada in cooperation with ACCES Employment, a collaborative hiring event was co-organized by World Education Services (WES) and ACCES Employment, and sponsored by Starbucks Canada and the Tent Partnership for […]

As we wind down the final weeks of the year, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund team is reflecting on all that we’ve learned and holding on to the inspiration and hope that will carry us into the new year. The year 2020 has been unlike any other. Through it all, we have been inspired by […]

This piece originally appeared on the Welcoming Center’s website on November 25, 2020 and is cross posted here with permission. The Welcoming Center is a grantee partner of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund.  Our world is collectively experiencing a pandemic as well as social and political upheaval, both globally and locally. This turmoil directly impacts […]

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 […]

NEW YORK — (Dec. 15, 2020) — The WES Mariam Assefa Fund today announced impact investments of $750,000 to ensure that immigrants and refugees in the United States have access to the tools and capital they need to acquire digital and other job-related skills, establish credit, increase their earning potential, and start businesses of their […]

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 […]

Massachusetts is home to some 82,000 African immigrants, many of whom are fluent in English. Overall, immigrants from Africa are one of the most highly educated immigrant groups in the United States. According to New American Economy, 40 percent of African immigrants have a college degree, attaining a higher level of education than that of […]

Every year, leaders, advocates, and organizations that support immigrants and refugees across the United States gather at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC). The NIIC is organized by the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), one of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s grantee partners, and will be held virtually this year on December 8 and […]

By Maribel Garcia + Andrea Avila, Inclusive Action for the City  This piece originally appeared on Inclusive Action’s website on November 18, 2020 and is cross posted here with permission. Inclusive Action is a grantee partner of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund.  It’s hard to lend in a pandemic, especially when lending to entrepreneurs from […]

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 […]

TORONTO – November 23, 2020 – The WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic arm of World Education Services (WES), today announced its first grants in Canada. The Fund is awarding C$1.9 million to six organizations that are building stronger career pathways for immigrants and refugees, supporting workers affected by COVID-19, investing in immigrant leaders, and nurturing […]

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 […]