Services

Saturday Sessions

PAIR's Saturday Sessions encourage learning and promote academic success in a fun and supportive environment. Games, museum visits, science demonstrations, guest speakers and more promote English language acquisition, life and study skills, and integration. At Rice's Language Resource Center, students take advantage of state-of-the-art educational technology otherwise unavailable to them. Every other week, volunteers visit students and their families in their homes for one-on-one mentoring and tutoring. PAIR's goal is to provide experiences that facilitate academic success and instill a love of learning outside of the classroom.

College Counseling

PAIR volunteers mentor refugee students at several Houston high schools. In one-on-one sessions, college students guide refugee seniors through each step of the college admissions process, from college selection, SAT preparation, and essay writing through interview skills and application for financial aid. PAIR volunteers also conduct a 12-session workshop series for students in grades 9 through 11 that promote the importance of a college education and provide practical advice on each step toward college admissions.
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College Orientation Day

Through College Orientation days at local college campuses, PAIR creates an opportunity for refugee students to glimpse college life firsthand and learn more about the benefits of higher education. Speakers, who were often refugees themselves, describe the value of a college degree in their lives; student volunteers provide a tour of the campus; and refugees participate in games and activities and a festive meal.

Mentoring

PAIR provides mentors for an after-school program run by Catholic Charities Refugee Services in an apartment complex that is home to many refugees. Mentors offer homework help, English language and literacy practice, games and a variety of other enjoyable activities to students ages 5-14 for 2 hours each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

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Employment Workshops

Finding a job is a challenge for most newly arrived refugees. PAIR's Employment Workshops assist refugees in the job application process, providing cultural orientation and experience completing applications and participating in interviews. Through mock interviews and skits and experience with sample applications, the workshops give participants the language and communication skills they need to meet prospective employers with confidence.
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Sponsorship

Sponsored families receive individualized attention and can count on the sponsor for advice, resources, and assistance meeting basic needs. PAIR's sponsorship activities have included donating computers, printers, vacuums, and clothes; helping families set up Internet connections and subscriptions and obtain a car loan; tutoring; and accessing healthcare. Currently, about one out of every nine refugee families that resettle in Houston benefit from sponsorship. PAIR aims to expand sponsorship by partnering with corporations, universities, additional organizations, and individuals in the Houston community to provide support for more families. If you or your organization or business would like to sponsor a family through PAIR, please contact us at PAIR.Houston@gmail.com.
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