We offer high school students a way to make a difference - and refugee students a way to attain a degree

  • We provide high school students (RIS Leaders) with a community of global peers and experienced mentors so they can confidently lead their own Refugees in Schools chapters. From September to June, we coach them to recruit members, develop agendas, facilitate meetings, network with local nonprofits, fundraise and measure impact.

  • Our RIS Leaders take part in monthly meetings to deepen their understanding of refugee issues with a focus on education. In between meetings, they learn about one of their local refugee nonprofits.

  • Student chapters raise money to support global refugees with school scholarship. RIS helps select the student scholarship recipients through one of our trust global partners. For the 2024-25 school year, we will continue to work with refugees in Kenya.

“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

Khaled Hosseini

High School Students: Apply now for the 2024-25 Refugee Leadership program

Are you passionate about helping people, understanding how non-profits work and building your leadership skills? Are you open to a year-long deep dive into local and global refugee issues - and how these issues intersect with climate change, politics, education and international legal systems? Do you have five hours in your week to engage in an immersive experience that could change your life?

If this sounds like you, we hope you will consider this opportunity and apply!

We are currently recruiting our first cohort of Refugee Leaders for the 2024-25 school year. Please consider applying today!

Applications are due September 11, 2024

Program starts on September 18, 2024

Refugees In Schools partners with community-based organizations around the world. Right now, we partners with Windle International Kenya and the very best technical colleges in Kenya to provide the highest standard of vocational education to our refugee scholars. Windle has staff based in Nairobi, Dadaab, and Kakuma refugee camps.

Click here to learn more through our newsletters.

Who is a refugee?

Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. (UNHCR)