Alexandria’s West End is home to the largest concentration of newly arrived Afghan refugees in Virginia. Since the evacuation of Kabul in 2021, hundreds of Afghan families have been resettled in the area. Because of the delays in issuing visas to Afghans who supported the U.S. Government, new families continue to arrive weekly. The large number of newly arrived Afghan students has overwhelmed the schools in the neighborhood, especially Frances C. Hammond Middle School and Alexandria City High School. One of the greatest challenges facing these schools is students who arrived in the area with limited or no literacy. These middle and high school students either never learned to read and write in any language (or are years behind) due to educational delays caused by having attended school in rural areas or the termination of schooling for girls above 6th grade by the Taliban. At both schools, newly arrived Afghan students are placed in International Academies along with other English language learners and while these are very well-run programs, both lack sufficient literacy instruction to support the large number of students challenged in this area.

Started in June of 2023, our youth literacy program has served over 100 middle and high school students reading at, or below the second grade level. Many students were learning the English alphabet when they joined the program and have made years of progress in just 10 months. In addition to providing basic literacy instruction, our program also provides targeted academic support for the high school students in math and history, making it possible for many of them to meet graduation requirements as they learn English.

Fall 2024 Youth Literacy Program

Tuesdays| 5:45 - 8:15pm

Thursdays| 5:45 - 8:15pm

Saturdays| 10:45am - 1:15pm

Location| William Ramsay Recreation Center: 5650 Sanger Ave, Alexandria, VA 22311

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Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NOVA RAFT), Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center, and George Mason University’s Afghan Refugee Mentorship Program (GMU ARMP) have formed a dynamic partnership with the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) allowing us to serve the highest need middle and high school students. Started in June of 2023, our youth literacy program has served over 100 middle and high school students reading at, or below the second grade level. Many students were learning the English alphabet when they joined the program and have made years of progress in just 10 months. In addition to providing basic literacy instruction, our program also provides targeted academic support for the high school students in math and history, making it possible for many of them to meet graduation requirements as they learn English.

Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NOVA RAFT), Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center, and George Mason University’s Afghan Refugee Mentorship Program (ARMP) have formed a dynamic partnership with the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) allowing us to serve the highest need middle and high school students.