Whole Child, Whole Families, Whole Care
We recognize that no child learns in a vacuum. Every child’s wellbeing, ability to learn, and life at home are deeply intertwined. We also recognize that every child is different, with unique needs, strengths, histories of trauma, and relationships to school. For these reasons, we provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring and commit to meeting our youth where they are and as they are. Our goal is overall wellness, rather than a sharp focus exclusively on academic outcomes.

Student Leadership
We are a group of undergraduate, medical, and public health students, who are also advised by a board of high school-aged alumni of BRYTE. We believe in the unique power, energy, and creativity of student organizations and student movements. We believe student leadership benefits everybody in our program, creating deep relationships that transform both refugee youth and students in higher education.

Longitudinal Relationships
We recognize that every refugee child and refugee family has a unique journey to adapting and thriving in a new environment. For this reason, we work with both newly-arrived youth and youth who have lived in the United States for some time. We do not adhere to a fixed policy at which we “phase out” our youth but address each case on an individualized basis. We form deep relationships with our students and families that often last long beyond tutoring. As our students grow, we create opportunities for them to exercise leadership and service in their communities.

Self-Reflection and Accountability
We diligently document our work and create layers of accountability at every step. Our work is supervised and closely advised by experts, and we engage in formal didactic trainings alongside our learning-by-doing. We are transparent about how we spend our resources and regularly report our process and outcome measures to our supporters. We evaluate our impact both quantitatively and qualitatively and practice deep self-reflection, striving always to improve our work.

Soul
We recognize that it is impossible to engage in this work without being deeply moved by it. We are here to share ourselves with our youth and to create the space for them to share themselves with us and with each other. We embrace emotional honesty, joy, and above all, love.