About CORE

Cultural orientation providers attending a workshop hosted by CORE

About CORE

The Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), a technical assistance program, connects and supports refugee resettlement staff globally to deliver effective Cultural Orientation which helps refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders achieve self-sufficiency in the United States.

Through CORE, Cultural Orientation providers can:

  • Participate in online and in-person learning opportunities
  • Download resources to deliver Cultural Orientation
  • Utilize refugee resources in multiple languages and multimedia formats

CORE is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and administered by the International Rescue Committee.

Who We Serve

Before refugees arrive in the United States, they usually work closely with an assigned Resettlement Support Center overseas. Most refugees come to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and receive pre-departure Cultural Orientation. This map provides information about pre-departure Cultural Orientation at the Resettlement Support Centers worldwide.

 

  • RSC Africa – Church World Service (CWS)
  • RSC Austria – HIAS
  • RSC Asia – International Rescue Committee (IRC)
  • RSC Eurasia – International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • RSC Latin America – International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • RSC Middle East and North Africa – International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • RSC Turkey and Middle East – International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC)

In the U.S., refugees are assigned to a Resettlement Agency to help them integrate into their new communities. Resettlement Agencies have cooperative agreements to resettle refugees under the Reception and Placement Program, a public/private partnership with PRM. This map provides the locations for offices in the U.S. during FY20.

Our Impact

CORE’s work helps Cultural Orientation providers boost their skills and increase their knowledge. The Cultural Orientation they provide to refugees is then better coordinated, more consistent, and higher quality. Indirectly, CORE serves refugees through the creation of resources and digital platforms that support the understanding of key Cultural Orientation messages.


62

trainings attended by 6,858 individuals

600+

resources for refugees

70,000+

visitors from 170 countries to Settle In

Our Team

Megan Mahoney, Director 

Megan oversees the strategic development of CORE’s portfolio, including activities that benefit newcomers, CO members, and community partners. She has more than 15 years of experience in non-profit leadership and human rights work.

 

Jennifer Lange, Deputy Director

Jenny is the Deputy Director of the Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), overseeing activities that benefit newcomers and CO providers, including resettlement staff and community members. She has 14+ years working within the US Refugee Admissions Program’s domestic resettlement agencies, overseas resettlement support centers, and national technical assistance programs.

Tiana Gonzalez, Senior Community Orientation Officer

Tiana Gonzalez leads CORE’s capacity building of community partners, volunteers, and cosponsors to
deliver effective Cultural Orientation. She has eight years of experience in resettlement, including
program design and management and partnership development.

 

Amy Franz, Program Officer, Cultural Orientation

Amy leads CORE’s training and capacity building initiatives for Cultural Orientation providers, including the delivery of both virtual and in-person trainings. She has more than fifteen years of experience teaching and working with newcomers.     

 

Regan Hill, Program Officer, New Resettlement Pathways

Regan leads CORE’s capacity building of community members to deliver effective Cultural Orientation through resettlement pathways beyond traditional Reception and Placement. She has experience working domestically within Resettlement Agencies as well as in overseas education initiatives.

 

Karin Ferraz, Program Officer , Technical Assistance

Karin (she/they) manages CORE’s request assistance project and other capacity-building initiatives that support CO.  She has a decade of experience in the development and delivery of intercultural training, including providing Cultural Orientation to newcomers. 

Michal Panner, Senior Production and Operations Officer

Michal oversees CORE translation and production of newcomer products and manages project
operations including management of vendors and consultants. She has more than 15 years of
experience working in operations and translation.

 

Eduardo Castelao, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer

Eduardo leads needs assessments and evaluation initiatives for CORE. He has over 5 years of monitoring and evaluation experience within the non-profit sector.

Emily Kaiser, Senior Digital Communications Officer

Emily leads CORE’s interactive newcomer–facing digital initiatives, including Settle In for Afghans and
Settle In for Ukrainians. She has more than 15 years of digital communications experience in corporate
and media organizations.

 

Jas Kirt, Digital Product Officer 

Jas leads product development for the provider-facing CORE website and CORE’s refugee-facing website and mobile app. She brings a unique blend of experience leading refugee programs, digital strategy, user research, and product management to the CORE team.

 

Adele Auguste, Digital Content Manager

Adele manages digital content for CORE’s refugee–facing website and mobile app, and provider–facing
CORE website. Adele has more than three years of experience in various communications roles,
including work with Atlanta Council for International Relations and Voice of America.

 

Adam Goldstein, Digital Content Manager

Adam manages and edits content for Settle In digital platforms and initiatives. An experienced writer,
video and audio specialist, and content licensing curator, he has created content for numerous
international nonprofits focused on human rights, indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental issues.

 

Ogochukwu Chiamaka Agali, Virtual Events Manager

Chiamaka manages and implements new refugee–facing virtual events and online learning series, and
support live events Settle In social media platfroms. She has more than four years of event management
and has conducted research on the effects of resettlement on refugees.

 

Faiza Mahamud, Digital Content Officer

Faiza is responsible for helping oversee and manage the strategic direction, including growth of CORE’s Settle In platforms, with a focus on newcomer-facing content development. She brings to the IRC more than a decade of experience in journalism, public policy, communications, and digital strategy.

 

Melad Kakar, Senior Digital Community Liaison

Melad supports Settle In Facebook, including overseeing engagement with newly arrived Afghans and
supporting overall management and monitoring and evaluation of the project’s activities. He has over
five years of experience working in research, capacity building, data collection, and utilizing his language
abilities in Afghanistan in helping returnees and Internally Displaced Populations.

 

Jamal Zekri, Multimedia Specialist

Jamal supports Settle In Facebook as a multimedia specialist and moderator, providing Dari and English
content and responses. He has more than ten years of experience as a media professional, including
developing social media content for Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

Ajmal Sharif, Digital Community Liaison

Ajmal supports Settle In Facebook as a moderator, providing Dari, Pashto and English content and
responses to the Settle In Facebook page. He has more than 12 years of experience as a business analyst
and project manager, with expertise as a language trainer and curriculum developer.

 

Mursal Jurat, Digital Community Liaison

Mursal supports Settle In Facebook page as a moderator, aiding new Afghan arrivals to the United State by providing Dari and English responses to Settle In Facebook Page. She has 10+ years work experience in International Development and a BCS in Computer Science from Kabul Education University. 

 

 

Miri Kudinov, Senior Digital Community Liaison

Miri oversees Settle In Facebook engagement with newly arrived Ukrainians and supports overall
management, monitoring and evaluation of the project’s activities Settle In team for Ukraine response.
Miri brings over 10 years’ experience in operations and program management.

 

Mariia Leshchenko, Digital Community Liaison

Mariia supports Settle In Facebook as a moderator, providing Ukrainian, Russian and English content and
responses to the Settle In Facebook page. She has nearly five years working as a social media manager
and moderator.

 

Yana Lazar, Digital Community Liaison

Yana supports Settle In Facebook by providing accurate and up to date information and resources in
Ukrainian, Russian and English to newly arrived Ukrainians resettling to the United States. She has an
experience in managing social media platforms, creating content, and developing strategic promotional
methods to expand digital footprint.

Nayeli Gonzalez, Digital Community Liaison 

Nayeli currently supports the Settle In Facebook page by providing accurate information for newly arrived Spanish speakers. Nayeli has experience in helping immigrant families navigate information to facilitate access to wraparound services. 

 

María José Jaramillo Londoño , Digital Community Liaison

María currently supports the Settle In Facebook page by providing accurate information for newly arrived Spanish speakers.

 

Contact Us →