Karam means generosity in Arabic. We are a Syrian-led organization founded in 2007 in Chicago. We have been supporting Syrian communities in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and the US since 2011. We've developed various innovative education projects including community innovation centers (Karam Houses) for refugee teenagers in Turkey and a higher education scholarship program for refugee youth, as well as sustainable development projects to address the evolving obstacles that Syrians face. 

We have built two Karam Houses, innovative workspaces for Syrian refugee teens, in Istanbul and Reyhanli, Turkey, which defy traditional approaches to refugee education. At Karam Houses, hundreds of Syrian refugee teens learn through access to technology (maker spaces, internet, computers), expert mentorship (Syrian refugee architects and engineers), and a sophisticated design-based curriculum (developed by MIT grads) that teaches youth how to build their ideas and their community. 

We think about refugees and humanitarian aid differently and so we do things differently. We believe in investing deeply in communities affected by conflict. We are on a mission to build 10,000 Leaders for the Future of Syria by 2028 - guiding Syrian refugees on a path to leadership. We do this by creating safe spaces to connect learn, and develop a support ecosystem for them - and their families - to thrive. These spaces are called Karam Houses.