| For a second year in North Carolina, the ECAR Gathering will bring together over 120 individuals from across the United States who are invested in transforming higher education communities into places of welcome and deep belonging. Participants will represent a range of diverse backgrounds including refugee and immigrant communities; higher education institutions and organizations including ECAR Chapters and Resettlement Campuses; refugee resettlement offices; immigrant support organizations; as well as community-based organizations and businesses. Everyone will gather for two days to co-learn, co-create, and share experiences. The Gathering is an invite-only free event and will be hosted by Wake Forest University (WFU) at their Downtown Campus. It will feature workshops, speakers, and activities that have been co-designed by various stakeholders in refugee and higher education communities. The goal is to promote conversations that build community, mobilize colleges and universities to become Resettlement Campuses, and foster the reimagination of the role of higher education in refugee resettlement and support. In NC, both ECAR Chapters at WFU and Guilford College have hosted over 100 refugees on their campuses in collaboration with their local resettlement offices, World Relief Triad and CWS Greensboro respectively. The 2023 ECAR Gathering at WFU is a result of a collaborative initiative by the WFU ECAR Chapter and the dedicated team at ECAR’s non-profit. We are grateful to our sponsors for ensuring the success of this event and recognize the significant contributions of the Provost Office of Wake Forest University, acknowledged at the “Keynote Level” as well as World Education Services (WES) and the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) for their crucial support at the “Do-It-Together” levels. We would also like to convey our appreciation to our valued partners for their invaluable financial and time commitments. To learn more about the ECAR Gathering, visit gathering.everycampusarefuge. Organizers are available for discussions with the media before, during, and after the Gathering. Members of the media interested in attending the Gathering should reach out to Walid Mosarsaa for an invitation. |
| About Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR): In response to Pope Francis’ call on every European parish to host one refugee family, ECAR was founded at Guilford College by Dr. Diya Abdo in September of 2015 and incorporated into a nonprofit in 2017. ECAR calls on every college and university to steward resources and partnerships in support of refugee resettlement and newcomers as they begin their lives in their new homes. Since ECAR’s inception, Chapters have supported the resettlement of over 350 new arrivals on college campuses across the United States. ECAR at Wake Forest University (WFU): The ECAR chapter at WFU is one of the earliest to join the movement. WFU’s ECAR has been providing temporary housing and support for refugees since 2016, having hosted 21 individuals, including 4 families and 3 current residents, as well as 2 resident-mentors in the last 3 years. WFU’s ECAR chapter works closely with the university’s as well as local refugee advocate organizations and partners with World Relief, the local resettlement agency in Winston-Salem. About World Education Services (WES): WES is a non-profit social enterprise that supports the educational, economic, and social inclusion of immigrants, refugees, and international students. For nearly 50 years, WES has set the standard for international academic credential evaluation, supporting millions of people as they seek to achieve their academic and professional goals in the U.S. Through decades of experience in the field, WES has developed a wide range of tools to pursue social impact at scale – from evaluating academic credentials to shaping policy, designing programs, and providing philanthropic funding. About Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH): Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) makes it easier for communities to make a difference in the lives of refugees and other displaced people. They do this by generating bold policies that empower Americans to sponsor and by connecting national and local community partners with the knowledge and financial resources they need to set up newcomers for success. Most recently, CSH leads the consortia implementing the Welcome Corps and the Welcome Corps on Campus, two groundbreaking U.S. Department of State programs making it possible for everyday Americans and campus communities to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). CSH is the first organization in the United States solely dedicated to growing community sponsorship. Founded in 2021, CSH is changing the way resettlement occurs in the United States. They quickly mobilized with partners to build the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans, which allowed American sponsors to welcome Afghan allies during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The program has since expanded to support communities welcoming Ukrainian, Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan newcomers seeking safety in the United States. |