Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators
Refugees processed by the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) receive pre-departure and post-arrival Cultural Orientation to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to adapt to
Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators
Refugees processed by the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) receive pre-departure and post-arrival Cultural Orientation to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to adapt to their new lives and achieve self-sufficiency. The Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators (O&Is) outline what is required in Cultural Orientation programming. The O&Is support a continuum of consistent messaging for refugees about life in the U.S. as well as help providers evaluate the impact of Cultural Orientation.
Objectives and Indicators Basics
The Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators (O&Is) clearly outline what refugees are expected to do or say by the end of Cultural Orientation. They have been carefully selected to help providers prioritize what to cover in Cultural Orientation and reduce the cognitive overload refugees encounter during the resettlement process.
- Objectives describe the information refugees are expected to learn about each Cultural Orientation topic.
- Indicators outline what refugees are expected to do or demonstrate about a specific topic. Indicators also help assess if refugees understand and can apply the objectives.
There are two sets of Cultural Orientation O&Is – Overseas and Domestic. The Overseas O&Is are repeated in the Domestic O&Is to emphasize the need for repetition in learning and to combat the spread of misinformation refugees encounter during the resettlement process. When all individuals who support refugees in resettling to the U.S. work together to deliver Cultural Orientation in alignment with the O&Is, refugees receive consistent and harmonized messaging about life in the U.S. This collaborative concept of Cultural Orientation delivery is also referred to as the Cultural Orientation Continuum (CO Continuum).
Download the Objectives and Indicators
Overseas Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators
Domestic Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators
How to use the Objectives and Indicators
Any individual supporting a refugee resettling in the U.S. needs to review both the Overseas and Domestic O&Is, including community guests and partners. Overseas Cultural Orientation introduces concepts to refugees for the first time that are reinforced during Domestic Cultural Orientation. Together, we create a continuum of messaging for refugees when we use the O&Is as our framework for Cultural Orientation programming and prioritize covering the topics outlined.
Go Further: Take CORE’s Cultural Orientation Defined self-paced course to learn more about how Cultural Orientation is delivered and the role the O&Is play in a refugee’s resettlement journey.
Together the Overseas and Domestic O&Is provide the framework for Cultural Orientation programming and help you prioritize what to cover during Cultural Orientation. The O&Is are general and apply to the entire U.S. A critical role of providers is to localize the information and content in the O&Is to meet refugee needs. For example, a refugee in a small rural town with no public transportation may receive different messages about transportation than a refugee in a larger city with available public transportation. Note that how Cultural Orientation is delivered will vary by agency and organization and will be dependent on a variety of factors (i.e., resources, funding, staffing).
Learn More: Need more guidance on how to include the Cultural Orientation O&Is in your programming? Review these tips:
- Use O&Is to determine what to include in your Cultural Orientation programming, and what might be covered in other services. Remember the O&