Over a year ago, scouts in Girl Scout Troop 2747 saw the needs of refugee children in the community and decided to do something about it. They partnered with the nonprofit MOZAIC to create a tutoring program to help support the students with their transition into the school system.

Scouts of 12 years Saniya Yamin, a junior at Broad Run High School, Lana Fakhro, a junior at Riverside High School, Amna Rivzi, a junior at Dominion High School, and Anum Ghori, a junior at Independence High School, noticed that many children of refugees were not receiving enough support to thrive in school. Not only did they not speak English, but they also didn’t know how to interact with other children and teachers. The girls started a tutoring program to give back to their community.

“A little bit of help can make a positive impact in their lives,” Yamin said.

They started meeting with nonprofits last April. Yamin said they wanted to make sure they partnered with the right organization. They went on several interviews, but ended up connecting the most with MOZAIC through one of the girls’ parents.

Founded in 2016, MOZAIC is a regional nonprofit that focuses on the needs of refugees, women and children.

After months of coordinating with MOZAIC, the girls got their program up and running in September. Four girls from the troop are tutoring students from elementary to ninth grade. Since many of them speak different languages, they are able to connect with their students better. They spend from three to four hours per week on sessions and creating plans for their students.

Fakhro said that, while she started with just helping them with their homework, her tutoring sessions have grown to teaching them English and helping them come out of their shells. She tutors three elementary school aged siblings.

“Having someone they can talk to and ask questions, they can finally talk to people directly,” she said.

Fakhro and Yamin said that it was rewarding to see their students grow.

Yamin tutors some students going into ninth grade, and said it is great for them to be able to talk to someone who has already gone through the transition since she is a junior.

She also creates lesson plans for her students and finds that practicing conversation skills makes her students feel much more comfortable raising their hands and participating in class.

The children they tutor are all identified through the MOZAIC program. Yamin said that MOZAIC helps to resettle families and connects to the tutoring if they have school-age children. Families can also learn about the program through MOZAIC’s website.

Mostly members of the MOZAIC community are participating now, but the scouts hope to grow the program in the future. Fakhro and Yamin said that they would welcome other volunteers to the program.

They also hope to keep tutoring through their college years. Since all the sessions are virtual, they want to continue giving back to the community even if they are not physically present.

For more information about the program, go to mozaicdmv.org.