Friday, September 22, 2023 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT
Online Location
To register, please click hereIn January of 2023 the U.S. State Department announced the creation of the Welcome Corps as a complement to existing refugee resettlement programs. Envisioned as public-private partnerships, groups of at least five individuals would agree to sponsor a refugee for 90 days to help them find housing and integrate into U.S. society. Along with housing, education and employment are essential to this integration. In its first year the Welcome Corps is committed to engaging with at least 5,000 refugees and their sponsor groups across the country. In subsequent phases, the Welcome Corps will also include partnerships with employers and universities as refugee sponsors. The Welcome Corps is a new and timely policy initiative in the United States. This event seeks to more widely disseminate the workings of the initiative to a range of employers, educational institutions, and students who may not be well informed about its potential to serve as a significant pathway for refugee resettlement, particularly in the area of STEM occupations.
This conference will focus on how STEM oriented educational opportunities through high schools, registered apprenticeships, community colleges, and four-year institutions can all play a significant role in addressing urgent humanitarian needs, while also expanding the nation’s STEM workforce. At this conference participants will learn about the current refugee situation, how the Welcome Corps is a valuable addition to U.S. refugee resettlement policy, and how educational institutions can support this program. Speakers will be drawn from the U.S. State Department, D.C.-area think tanks, and representatives of all levels of the education system.
Panelists and a small group of invited guests will gather in person. Others can join online for individual panels or for the entire day. There will be an opportunity for online participants to interact and pose questions.
| 10:00-10:15 | Introduction and Welcome |
| 10:15-11:00 | Overview of Refugee Policy and Data |
| 11:15-12:00 | Refugee Resettlement Panel: Successes and Challenges in the Past |
| 12:15-1:00 | Lunch and Welcome Corps Presentation |
| 1:15-2:00 | Educational Institution Panel |
| 2:15-3:00 | Employer Resource Panel |
| 3:15-4:00 | Next Steps: From Policy Initiative to Resettlement Success |
| 10:00-10:15 | Introduction and Welcome |
| Rebekah Hersch, Associate Director, Research and Innovation at George Mason University | |
| Liv Blackmon, Director, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) STEM Accelerator (OSA) | |
| Jim Witte, Director, Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) at George Mason University | |
| 10:15-11:00 | Overview of Refugee Policy and Data |
| Michelle S. Dromgold-Sermen, Assistant Director, IIR | |
| 11:15-12:00 | Refugee Resettlement Panel: Successes and Challenges in the Past |
| Hanh Bui, Children's Author | |
| Jawad H., Executive Director, No Lost Generation, George Mason University | |
| Kimberly LeBlanc, Director, Resettlement and Integration Programs - Fairfax, Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area | |
| Salimah Shamsuddin, Director, Resettlement and Integration Programs - Woodbridge, Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area | |
| 12:15-1:00 | Lunch and Welcome Corps Presentation |
| Introduction by Michele Schwietz, Associate Dean for Research, College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason | |
| Remarks by Andre Marshall, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact at George Mason | |
| Presentation by Lucretia Keenan, Strategist for the Community Sponsorship Hub at the Welcome Corps | |
| 1:15-2:00 | Educational Institution Panel |
| Paul Steiner, Director, Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education | |
| Gary G. Pan, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry | |
| Kammy Sanghera, Executive Director, Mason Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA) | |
| 2:15-3:00 | Employer Resource Panel |
| Mike Batt, Vice President of Talent, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority | |
| Hudaidah Bhimdi, Bhimdi Global Immigration, PLLC | |
| Gregg Levin, CEO, EnGen | |
| Fatima Sanz, Senior Policy Manager, World Education Services (WES) | |
| 3:15-4:00 | Next Steps: From Policy Initiative to Resettlement Success |
| Summary of day's discussion, Liv Blackmon, ORAU |
