For the past two months, CORE facilitated a four-part webinar series: Remote Cultural Orientation Revisited. During the webinars, Cultural Orientation providers showcased sample activities to use in remote Cultural Orientation and presented on their experiences. CORE facilitated various group discussions on topics including incorporating visuals over the phone and making your sessions interactive for participants with limited digital skills.
If you missed any of the sessions, you can still access the recordings and materials, and engage in discussions through CORE’s learning platform.
From the session, CORE identified five key pieces of advice:
1. Invest time
Remote Cultural Orientation delivery is new for Cultural Orientation providers, refugees, and interpreters. Successful implementation involves investing time to assess participant needs and mindfully shaping the structure and mode of delivery. Outside of assessing need, Cultural Orientation providers and others should make time to become experts on the digital platforms and devices that will be used for delivery.
2. Deliver multiple sessions
For improved engagement and attendance, deliver remote Cultural Orientation across multiple sessions that include short breaks. Among these sessions, you should include a call that helps to assess participants’ needs and areas of interest. You should also provide a pre-session to walk through expectations and practice using relevant technology that will be used during the session.
3. Share materials with participants
Promote learning before, during, and in between sessions by sharing materials (physical or digital) with participants. For example, email links to videos for viewing ahead of a session, provide physical packets with fact sheets or visual aids that will be used during the session, or assign homework to complete a chapter of the Settle In app. Some sites are also working with community partners to create Cultural Orientation boxes that include props or realia that can be incorporated during Cultural Orientation topics, such as hygiene or budgeting.
4. Be creative in engaging participants
Engagement in a virtual setting is not limited to participants using the chat or annotation features, nor is this always possible. You may be surprised to discover how many engaging in-person activities can be transformed to a remote setting. For example, review CORE’s Telephonic Cultural Orientation Guidance and Curriculum for ideas on creating more discussion-based sessions. If participants are together, provide activities they can do with one another, such as role–plays or pair-shares. If they are by themselves, have them interact with items in their physical spaces.
5. Revisit CORE resources
CORE continues to release guidance and materials for remote Cultural Orientation delivery, while also sharing resources created by other Resettlement Agencies. Below is a reminder of the different resources available for Cultural Orientation providers looking to build or improve their skills:
- How to Deliver Remote Cultural Orientation
- Promising Practice: Delivering Effective Remote Cultural Orientation
- Activity Bank (features activities with Multilingual Resources)
- Online Course: Integrating Digital Technology in Cultural Orientation
- Telephonic Cultural Orientation Guidance and Curriculum
- HIAS Virtual Communications Guide (Multilingual Resource)
- HIAS Training YouTube Channel (Multilingual Resource
- IRC Digital Literacy Videos (Multilingual Resource)
- USCCB How to Use a Chromebook Guide (Multilingual Resource)
