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Last updated on December 9, 2008

Our mission is to provide the education, orientation, and support refugees need to become self-sufficient members of society.

Description:
Our services include:

-English as Second Language (ESL) and citizenship classes
-Life skills training
-A state-of-the art driving simulator
-Computer lab with high-speed internet
-More than 350 annual volunteers trained to tutor, mentor and connect with refugees
-After-school tutoring
-Youth group activities promoting literacy, leadership, and learning
-Assistance and crisis-intervention on a drop in basis
-One-on-one tutoring on a drop-in basis
-Staff prepared to help the larger Lansing community understand refugee issues.

Over the last number of years the Refugee Development Center has grown from a handful of volunteers serving as our front line of support to over 150 a semester, or approximately 350 annually. We have also expanded our educational offerings to include an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for adults that is serving those who have never been to school in their lives, to those who are learning their fourth and fifth language and are headed to Lansing Community College once they finish their course work with us. Just this year we have been able to add another vocational English program to our traditional slate of academic night classes. Through all our ESL courses, we expect to fill 200-225 seats a year, thus placing us, with the exception of Lansing Community College, as one of the largest ESL providers in the City.

Our next large program serves youth. We have approximately 140 teens a night who visit us and work side-by-side with volunteers from Michigan State University. These teens have fled war and persecution with their parents and have learned that education is the path to a better future. On their own, they voluntarily come each day to get help with their homework and participate in the leadership/literacy activities we schedule on a monthly basis.

We are proud to say that we are visited between 500-600 times a week by refugees and the volunteers caring enough to serve them. In fact, the Refugee Development Center has become the “go to” place in the area for adult ESL and refugee youth programming.

History:
The Refugee Development Center opened in May 2002 to focus on building refugee educational skills. We are 80 percent privately funded and rely on the generosity of stakeholders and committed volunteers.

Contact people:

Shirin Kambin Timms, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Ariel Rodriguez Pena, Youth Coordinator, (phone), (email) Kathy Walsh, Office Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (517) 482-4719

Address:

122 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Lansing, MI 48912 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.refugeedevelopmentcenter.com

Directions:

From the United Way, take Michigan Avenue West toward the State Capital. Pass Frandor and Sparrow Hospital. Turn left onto South Pennsylvania Ave. Take an immediate right into the parking lot for Christ Lutheran Church. Park. Ring the buzzer to the upper left of the door marked office. Come to the second floor.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: NA,   Walk distance (in minutes): NA   Nearest Bus Stop: Bus No. 1, Mich./Penn., 1 minute walk

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