In a 2025 survey of 100 refugee families in Kurdistan, 87% of parents reported major improvements in their teenagers’ communication skills. Nearly 83% said their teens feel more hopeful about the future, and 79% observed enhanced use of technology—transforming phones from time-wasters into tools. Notably, 64% of program participants are girls, overcoming educational barriers in conservative communities. With over 85% of admissions fueled by word-of-mouth, Hello Future’s youth development programs are sparking real change and spreading through community trust.

Hello Future accelerates youth development and future-of-work readiness by partnering with organizations to deliver its proven, field-tested curriculum. Through train-the-trainer programs, robust measurement tools, and capacity-building support, partners rapidly scale transformative, project-based youth programs—empowering refugee students with essential 21st-century skills and self-reliance.

In 2022, Heven joined Hello Future’s youth empowerment program in Sulaymaniyah with a spark that set her apart—always smiling, full of ideas, and ready to support her peers. Guided by her father’s unwavering belief in girls’ education and entrepreneurship, she dreamed big. When tragedy struck, taking her father’s life and injuring her brother, Heven’s resilience became a powerful example of hope, education, and opportunity for refugee and displaced youth.

Meet Slava Masoud, a graduate of Hello Future’s Small Business Incubator who transformed a challenge into opportunity. In 2022, she joined our youth entrepreneurship program with a strong voice and thoughtful determination. Her idea—Mira Maternity Shop—brought comfortable, stylish maternity wear directly to mothers in Arbat Refugee Camp, meeting a critical community need and showcasing the power of education, innovation, and refugee-led business.

Meet Rama Ibrahim, a graduate of Hello Future’s Small Business Incubator Class of 2023. Soft-spoken yet unstoppable, Rama turned her vision into the IQD 1000 Store—bringing affordable essentials directly to women in Arbat Refugee Camp. By eliminating long trips to Sulaymaniyah, she’s proving how refugee-led businesses can drive community change, empowerment, and opportunity.

Meet Roaa, a graduate of Hello Future’s Small Business Incubator Class of 2023. Once a quiet dreamer, she grew into a confident changemaker, launching The Hijabi Store in Arbat Refugee Camp. By bringing stylish, modest clothing directly to young women, Roaa turned a local challenge into a powerful solution—proving how refugee-led businesses spark empowerment and transformation.

When we introduced artificial intelligence literacy into our curriculum last year, some people asked us why. Why teach AI to refugee youth? Why now? The answer is simple: because they need it most.

AI isn't just coming – it's here, reshaping our world in ways both visible and invisible. From the phones in our pockets to the services we use daily, AI is becoming as fundamental as reading and writing. But here's what keeps me up at night: while most of the world debates AI's future, refugee youth and underserved communities risk being left behind. Again.

Three weeks ago, I watched Jodi's little sister Jehan graduate from our Small Business Incubator program. Not only did she graduate - she won a start-up grant to open her own beauty salon. Watching her mother's face as Jehan received her certificate, I saw something profound: hope. Through tears, she told Hasara, our Director of Curriculum and Training, that seeing her daughter on stage was the first moment of real joy she'd felt in years.

Brothers Aind and Dlir, residents of the Arbat refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, attended their first Hello Future courses when they were 15 and 17 years old, respectively. Dlir’s path through Hello Future’s courses resulted in him building skills -- digital, communications, design thinking -- and received a scholarship to the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, where he is majoring in Computer Science with a business minor.

As refugee crises drag on and time in camps evolves into the new normal, long-term needs are often left uncared for. This is an especially dangerous reality for teenagers, who are at a critical time in their educational development and at risk of seeing their dreams disappear forever.

Hello Future Awarded Multi-year Grant from USA for UNHCR. “The support of USA for UNHCR is a catalytic investment in our program that also sends a clear message about the importance of supporting programs for refugee teenagers -- an age group often forgotten in the humanitarian sector,” said Charlie Grosso, Hello Future’s founder and executive director.

Refugees Need Action, Not Just Advocacy. Urge UNGA to Action Instead of Advocacy. Sign Petition Here.

I am excited to introduce the newest members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Council. We simply cannot achieve our mission of bridging the education gap for adolescent refugees without the support and guidance of our talented and compassionate Board members. They are experts in their field, bring a wealth of experience, and will help move us closer to our goal of preventing a lost generation.

Aba strives to use his own experience as a refugee to help our students forge their own paths forward. He focuses on trust and respect and encourages our students to learn with and from each other.

Many programs that provide for refugee education fail to make it past the pilot stage. The lack of incentive to replicate a program at scale and the inability to measure tangible success halt successful programs in their tracks and refugee youth are the ones who pay the price.

After escaping conflict and violence, many refugees are unable to attend traditional school for years. NGOs and program leaders must devise innovative ways of providing accessible, portable, creative education to those affected by displacement.

Charlie Grosso talks with We are for Good hosts about the founding of Hello Future, the importance of digital literacy, and the current state of refugees around the world. They discuss the ways Hello Future is transforming the refugee experience through opportunities, education, and sense of purpose.

STEM education has been heralded as the education of the future. In the context of refugee education, this means pushing science and technology on vulnerable youth instead of teaching them a wide range of soft and hard skills to prepare them for their future. This has implications for individuals and communities at large, as groups of students are graduating with a niche set of skills only useful in specific contexts.

The MIT Migration Summit focuses on education and workforce development in the face of displacement. As part of the program. Hello Future will present a participatory design workshop and journey mapping from the lens of refugee teens on April 25 & 26.

On April 8th at 9am EST, we will host a Skoll Ecosystem event, Preventing a Lost Generation: Refugee Teens & 21st Century Economy. The event will focus on the themes of this year’s conference including progress, advancing global solutions, and moving past hardship.