PAIR, The Partnership For The Advancement & Immersion ff Refugees, empowers refugees by providing information and resources to improve their quality of life while increasing educational opportunities.

Description:
PAIR’s primary service, “Saturday Sessions,” takes place for two hours each week. Refugees interact with PAIR volunteers to receive reading, writing, conversational, and computer literacy training. Refugees are divided into groups based on age and English level and taught by volunteers. The computers provide access to the internet, websites that help with English learning, and ESL software; volunteers help with basic computer skills so refugees may learn how to connect to the digital world. Volunteers also create interactive activities to help with reading, writing, and conversational skills.

PAIR also conducts college counseling for high school aged refugees during these “Saturday Sessions.” PAIR explains the opportunities available for students to attend college and the necessary steps to be taken to successfully complete college applications. Thus a personalized timeline showing the various steps needed to be taken for each refugee’s goals is created. PAIR will monitor and aid in the execution of the timeline as seen fit by each individual refugee. Substantial evidence exists to support the position that PAIR’s target population wants to attend college but does not know how or think they can. PAIR hopes to close this gap by helping refugees realize the vast opportunities available to attend college.

History:
PAIR began operations in September 2006, first received money to fund operations in December 2006, and incorporated as a Texas nonprofit organization in May 2007. In January 2008, PAIR received tax-exempt status and thus can now receive tax-deductible donations.

Since its inception, PAIR has grown from a small group of ambitious individuals to a team of over 40 Rice University undergraduates and other interested individuals in Houston and around the country.

PAIR has already hosted three College Orientation events with a total of over 120 refugees and 75 volunteers, instituted a program that brings up to 20 refugees to Rice every other Saturday to practice English and improve computer skills, established a well-respected employment workshop program, and recruited mentors for an after-school program. With your help, we can further impact the community while moving toward our vision to help refugees through the college admissions process and in other ways.

Contact person: Alex Triantaphyllis, Founder, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (713) 529-4602

Address:

6100 Main St Houston, TX 77005 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.pairhouston.org