Refugee & Immigrant Transitions

Refugee & Immigrant Transitions (RIT), formerly Refugee Transitions, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. RIT provides free education, family engagement, and community leadership programs. Our students have sought refuge due to war, violence, persecution, or economic duress. 

Our agency was founded in 1982 as the Refugee Women’s Program. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to welcome and partner with people who have sought refuge, employing strengths-based educational approaches and community supports so they may thrive in our shared communities.

Our Vision

Our vision is to see all newcomers thrive and become full, participating members of our shared communities. 

Our Values

We believe in the power of education to unlock opportunity.

We are honored to share in the journeys of our students. 

We co-create solutions that are transformative for students and volunteers alike. 

We firmly believe that refugees, asylees, and immigrants have the resilience to shape our world for the better. 

Strengths-based Approach

Despite the adversity they have gone through, and the major challenges they face in the U.S., our students inspire us daily with their courage and commitment. RIT’s work is rooted in a strengths-based approach. We cultivate mutually beneficial cross-cultural relationships and co-create opportunities for newcomer leadership. 

Education is at the center of everything we do. With RIT’s support, our students make English gains and progress on their pathways to schooling, employment, and citizenship. Our programs build cross-cultural bridges by engaging volunteers. 

Our educational programs are supplemented by Family Engagement. We connect newcomer families to vital community resources and reduce social isolation. 

We could not do our work without our Community Leaders. They provide multilingual assistance and act as community liaisons. 

Our Partnerships

We work closely with partners around the Bay Area to ensure coordinated support and collective impact. Our collaborative partners include schools, school districts, refugee resettlement agencies, and other nonprofits. 

We are on the steering committee of the East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum, and members of the San Francisco Coalition of Asylee, Immigrant, and Refugee Services and the Refugee and Immigrant Forum of Santa Clara County.