ASTEP at Refugee Youth Program

ASTEP Volunteer Artists provide the creative arts component of the Refugee Youth Summer Academy (RYSA) in partnership with the IRC’s Refugee Youth Program, which supports the personal growth, cultural adjustment, and education of multicultural refugee youth and helps them successfully transition into the US school system.

ASTEP designs, implements, and oversee the creative arts programming at RYSA for all student levels, which includes sessions in visual art, dance, music, and story-telling. The program runs for 6-weeks during the summer. Our arts education classes allow refugee youth to break down the barriers they face by improving abilities they require to create a new life for themselves in their new home:

• English language skills
• Academic abilities
• Social and emotional skills
• Community ties
• Capacity for self-expression

In addition, our team of 18-25 volunteer artists serve as trusted adult role models, mentors, and educators who guide refugee youth in making healthy decisions about their futures.

+ Visit Get Involved to learn more about becoming an ASTEP Volunteer Artist!

International Rescue Committee is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees, and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 IRC locations in cities across the United States, we help refugees resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient. www.rescue.org