Teen All Stars

Read how this friendship grew despite ethnic differences and why CRP has grown its diversity and representation of refugees in Amman.

Educational programs at CRP’s Daycare help refugee children learn important skills for their future and introduce healthy living habits for their daily well-being.

“What I like most about Christmas is going to Church,” says Jamal, who comes from Iraq and takes part in CRP’s After-School Club. “I always like going to Church because I like the singing, it’s the best part.” Jamal goes to Church every Saturday with his grandmother and aunt because Sundays are working days in […]

Childcare is not only a space where kids can play, learn and grow. It is also crucial for mothers who need someone to look after their children when they want to engage in the center’s activities.

Many refugee teens are out of school and unable to work legally. This combination means they have many, many hours to fill on their own.

Kids love to run around, play, and do sports. Since there are no adequate facilities around Hashemi Shamali, CRP partnered up with the American Community School and Blossom Hill to create a regular sports program at the ACS facilities . . .

At CRP, we make sure to provide nutritious food to every child in our programs. Parents are thrilled when they see their kids eating healthily, because it’s an even bigger challenge for them at home.

CRP’s Education Specialist, Karam, developed the Teen Leadership Training Program last year. The course aims to promote teen leadership, provide spaces for teens to act as mentors to younger children, and take responsibility in their community.

CRP’s Summer Camp, open to children ages 5 to 14, meets every weekday throughout the summer. It educates children, both refugees and Jordanians, on teamwork and cooperation, all in a fun, open setting.

On some weekends, CRP brings teenagers to Amman’s 7Hills skatepark. Everyone is welcome, from experienced skateboarders to complete beginners.

No food, no school, no ordinary life. Young Emad and his family were forced to flee Syria in the wake of bombings and destruction. Since coming to Amman, life has not been easy either.

We are so excited for the start of CRP’s program, SuperGirls! SuperGirls provides a safe place for young, refugee girls to talk and heal from traumatic experiences.

For the past couple of months, the hallways around CRP have been noisier. Kids sitting around drum circles banging away with all their might. But we’re not complaining.

The bus leaving from CRP’s main building had barely pulled off before the driver turned on the music, and what seemed like a quiet bus ride erupted into rhythmic claps and singing. The teenagers are excited.

On any given weekday at CRP, you’ll find plenty of noisy playrooms where kids are just being kids. But sometimes the brightest smiles come from the parents lined up to greet them after activities are over.

Fun is important regardless of age, and though our Teen Group involves fewer games, it still encourages friendship, pursuit of hobbies, and laughter. But how do refugee youth entertain themselves day to day, outside of CRP?

Just like in Western countries, older students in Jordan require separate notebooks for each subject. Even these little expenses can add up, making a painful decision for students and their parents.

Skateboarding may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Jordan, but it certainly is one of the activities that has proved most popular among CRP’s teen group.

Yesterday, 17 members of our teen group at the Collateral Repair Project were invited to the Annual Thanksgiving Potluck at the American Community School (ACS)!

This summer, CRP has been running its first Summer Youth Camp for children in our community. Every day, roughly 50 children ages 5 to 14 from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Jordan come to the center and learn, socialize, and have fun together.

Back to school week has started and with it comes the energy of new beginnings. We’ve had a busy first few weeks of school here in Hashemi Shemali. Here are some of our weekly programs for fall.

This summer, CRP staff has been working tirelessly to gather funds and supplies to enroll more of our community’s children in school.

Education should not be a luxury for the privileged; it is the right of every child. When such a critical right is threatened, every dollar counts.

For the past two weeks, CRP has been hosting a Lego camp for 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds. For most of the children, this was their first exposure to Legos.

This past Saturday, 50 children in the CRP community spent the afternoon listening to Syrian storytellers share folk tales and traditional stories from Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Many new teens have joined our teen group in the past few months, so we decided it was time for a road trip! Thanks to Dynamix In Jordan, our teen group had a great day hiking in a canyon near the Dead Sea.

This past Saturday, CRP hosted a fun program for young children and teenagers in our community. Six teens from our Teen Group led a group of 30 children in a variety of activities.

CRP has started a pen pal program between children in our community in East Amman and American students in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA).

Homework Club is open to kids of all ages and teens to help them better master their school work and allow them to participate in educational activities and games. 

We have just started two brand new Girl Scouts troops for our refugee community in partnership with Weekday Rx. There are two troops, one for girls ages 9 -10 and a second for girls ages 11-13.

A group of CRP’s children recently attended a performance of “Frogz” put on by a group from Portland, Oregon.

At a recent kids activity, in addition to the normal games and arts and crafts we were able to have an educational session about teeth care.

For 2 hours every Saturday, CRP transforms into a busy hub of well organized chaos.  Children from Syria, Iraq, and Jordan come together for a variety of activities that have them singing, dancing, and smiling.

It was really hopping at the CRP center today as we distributed many, many bags of coats, clothes and toys to refugee children aged 1-16.