CORE Director Visits RSC Eurasia

CORE Director Kate Steger (standing) conducted a five-day consultation visit at the Resettlement Support Center Eurasia February 25 – March 1. The visit was an opportunity to collaborate with George Gholam, RSC Eurasia’s project officer of compliance, communications and cultural orientation, and engage other staff. Kate saw the program in action and identified ways CORE can provide additional technical assistance support.

In addition to launching CORE’s Russian resources for refugees, the visit included training twelve cultural orientation, communications, and operations staff on using CORE materials; interviewing seven staff members about cultural orientation, communications, prescreening, IT, and other activities; and establishing an RSC Eurasia SMS Task Force. Kate also observed an all-day cultural orientation session and met with refugee applicants.

CORE will use information gathered during the visit to develop new resources to enhance the Cultural Orientation continuum.

Left: RSC Eurasia Cultural Orientation Provider Olesia Goncharuk has been teaching cultural orientation for more than two years. During a recent session in Kyiv, she used adult learning principles to facilitate interactive and engaging cultural orientation for participants on mandated topics from the Overseas CO Objectives and Indicators.

Right: A young Cultural Orientation participant plays with a CORE viewmaster featuring the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and Resettlement & Placement process.