Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the COR Center supports overseas CO trainers in a variety of ways. For all overseas programs, the Center provides the Welcome to the United States guidebook and orientation video (translated into numerous languages), which are used in orientation sessions for refugees. The COR Center also conducts an annual CO Trainers Workshop and, on an as-needed basis, assists in curriculum development, conducts research on the U.S. resettlement needs of specific refugee populations, and develops specialized orientation materials.

For refugee service providers in the United States, the COR Center publishes culture profiles or backgrounders on newly arriving refugee groups, provides the Welcome to the United States guidebook, coordinates a two-week secondment of domestic resettlement professionals to observe CO and processing at various Overseas Processing Entities, and maintains the Cultural Orientation website. The COR Center also manages the Refugee Discussion listserv, a forum for the exchange of orientation information, ideas, and materials.

Our Staff

Sanja Bebic is Director of the COR Center, and Colleen Mahar-Piersma is Associate Director. Both have extensive backgrounds in CO and refugee resettlement. In addition, Dr. Craig Packard coordinates translation of COR Center publications, while Mary Jane Canale handles shipping and other logistical matters for the Center.

The COR Center also relies on a network of area specialists and refugee service providers. Area specialists have lent their expertise on the histories, languages, and cultures of refugees from Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, Bosnia, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Laos, Liberia, Somalia, the former Soviet Union, Tanzania, and Vietnam.