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Upcoming Events

10.24.19

Becoming Trauma-Informed OPEN DOORS EVENT

6:30 pm / 3925 Willard Farrow Drive, Charlotte, NC, 28215 (Corner of Tipperary and Shamrock)

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Embracing a multicultural world

Being the bridge for our neighbors to learn from each other

Committed to community

Community-Based Programs

Since the very beginning, ourBRIDGE has been rooted in a commitment to community. We believe that supportive, loving communities are essential to the well-being of every newly arrived and first generation immigrant and refugee family. Over the years our work in the community has evolved and adapted, continuously reflecting the needs and wants of families.

Because we work within a dynamic and diverse population, we believe that a focus on equity, justice, and inclusivity is vital to create communities that are truly reflective of our values. Being committed to our community is the act of knowing our students and families, planning with their perspectives and experiences in mind and committing to understanding our own identities in relation to theirs. It is the ourBRIDGE way to center our community within our work, not center our work in the community.

We honor and uplift our communities through joyful cultural events, educational opportunities, connection to necessary resources, and overall family support.

Education

From our adult English learner classes to vaccine information events, we strive to provide our families with the chance to engage in educational opportunities that are reflective of their unique interests and needs. Our goal is to promote families autonomy and resilience. We do this in many ways, including, hosting educational events for parents to learn about their children’s school and explore ways to engage with their children’s education.

We believe that education has the capacity to transform and better lives, and that every newly arrived person should have information and educational opportunities accessible to them. All of our educational programming for adults is created with accessibility, language justice, and inclusion in mind.

Events

We host several events throughout the year showcasing the diversity of our families through their food, music, cultural performances, and so much more! We have an emphasis on being the bridge that connects cultures and neighbors together and cultivating joy and new experiences for everyone involved!

We also host several events that address the inequities our community faces. We identify issues disproportionately affecting immigrant and refugee families. Our events are deeply collaborative and intentional events, focused on eliminating the barriers our community faces in order to receive the resources, reliable information and preventive care they need to stay healthy. This includes health fairs, donation drives, COVID-19 testing and vaccine events, and so much more!

Family Support

At ourBRIDGE we know that we cannot separate the success of our students with the success of their families. We strive to create authentic, meaningful relationships with our student’s families and be a point of support for them as they acculturate to a new life in the U.S.

As it is increasingly difficult for parents to navigate systems of government and healthcare, we actively work to break down barriers and be the bridge for families to access resources and information pertinent to their wellbeing. Often this looks like providing translations, connecting to resources, being a place
of emotional support, and advocating alongside them. Our family engagement and education programming as well as our support of families as they navigate CMS increases the capacity of parents and families to be active supporters of their children’s education. Our goal is to partner with families to support their overall wellbeing and happiness.

Responsiveness

We work to receive honest, meaningful communication from our families. This informs the decisions and changes we make, responding to the needs and interests of our families.

Inclusion

We believe our diversity only becomes inclusion through intentionality, humility, and action. From classroom decorations to curriculum, inclusion informs every decision we make.

Cultural Humility

We are humbled by the opportunity to learn and grow with our immigrant and refugee community. We are committed to the act of lifelong learning and reflection through our community.