FORA - Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America

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FORA - Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America FORA ensures that refugee families are provided access to an education sufficient to thrive.

Founded in 2018 in response to the international Rohingya crisis, we specialize in helping recently arrived refugee children who have previously been denied an education and are illiterate in their native languages to gain foundational education skills so that school becomes meaningful for them. Pre-pandemic, we served 30 formerly illiterate Rohingya, Afghani and Syrian children every day, providing each child with 520 hours per year of customized intensive instruction in reading and math with a 2-to-1 student-tutor ratio using professional teachers and paraprofessionals (and lowering the ratio even further with volunteers). When the pandemic hit, we took an additional 30 children, and we now serve 60 children with 2 hours a day of 1:1 online tutoring, for a total of 2,640 hours a month of tutoring. All tutors undergo legally mandated background checks and are monitored and mentored one hour every ten days. Our vision is a world where refugees in need are welcomed and empowered, and we value patience, kindness, wellness, intercultural connection, a passion for learning and a determined resilience...and modeling these values for others.

Join us today, October 14th, virtually or in person, for FORA’s Speaker Series! This month’s talk will explore Afghan re...
10/14/2026

Join us today, October 14th, virtually or in person, for FORA’s Speaker Series! This month’s talk will explore Afghan refugees’ history and experiences, led by FORA staff members Rebecca Clendenen and Fazlulhaq Fayez. Visit the link on our profile to RSVP!

Meet FORA’s Educational Interns of fall 2026! Educational interns work one-on-one with students in the classroom to ensu...
10/09/2026

Meet FORA’s Educational Interns of fall 2026! Educational interns work one-on-one with students in the classroom to ensure they are getting the support they need. We are so grateful for all the amazing work they do. ✏️📖

We are excited to welcome Lee Barker to the FORA Board of Directors!Lee has been a volunteer on FORA’s development team ...
10/06/2026

We are excited to welcome Lee Barker to the FORA Board of Directors!

Lee has been a volunteer on FORA’s development team for the past year and a half and recently transitioned to our board. We are so grateful to have his perspective and leadership as we continue creating opportunities for refugee students. 📚✏️🩵

Meet our Administrative Interns of fall 2026! Administrative Interns work with our Admin, Outreach, and Development depa...
10/02/2026

Meet our Administrative Interns of fall 2026! Administrative Interns work with our Admin, Outreach, and Development departments to ensure that FORA’s 125 refugee students have the tools they need to succeed each day. We are so grateful to have such an amazing group of interns with us this fall! 📘💚

At FORA, parents play an integral role in our program. They are our trusted partners and key advocates for their childre...
09/30/2026

At FORA, parents play an integral role in our program. They are our trusted partners and key advocates for their children’s education. Our Family School Partnership team works to ensure that parents are able to navigate unfamiliar systems while building skills that help them and their children thrive in a new country.💙📙

Join us at FORA this Wednesday to see what’s taking root! You’ll have the opportunity to tour our space, meet our studen...
09/28/2026

Join us at FORA this Wednesday to see what’s taking root! You’ll have the opportunity to tour our space, meet our students, hear from our team, and discover the many ways you can get involved. Find the RSVP form at the link in our bio. 🌱💙

Meet our Fall 2026 Communications Interns! Communications Interns at FORA help to create digital and physical materials ...
09/25/2026

Meet our Fall 2026 Communications Interns! Communications Interns at FORA help to create digital and physical materials that uplift FORA’s mission and inform audiences. Stay tuned to see some of the amazing things they work on this semester. 💙📗

Today a new class of influential women are being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and one of them has a ...
09/24/2026

Today a new class of influential women are being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and one of them has a special connection to FORA! Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones, a trailblazer in reproductive health, is the grandmother of our very own co-founder and Chief Education Officer Kathleen O’Connor. Read more about Dr. Seegar Jones contributions to her field here! 💙

Meet Grace DiCola, a former FORA volunteer who continues to be part of our community. She began tutoring in 2022 and con...
09/23/2026

Meet Grace DiCola, a former FORA volunteer who continues to be part of our community. She began tutoring in 2022 and continues to help promote our mission. Thank you for everything Grace!

From tutoring students to staying connected with FORA, our community doesn’t end when your time as a volunteer does. Join the FORA Alumni Network by clicking the link in our bio! 💚📙

Address

6435 N. California Avenue
Chicago, IL
60645

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