Conversations Unbound

Conversations Unbound empowers displaced people by providing them with opportunities to earn an income as online language tutors for high school and university students. The program is integrated directly into high school and university language curricula. Students are required to complete a set number of online sessions with their Conversation Partner over the course of an academic semester, and participation is tied to their grade. Using our custom-built platform, Conversation Partners hold online sessions for students studying these languages and receive payment per session. Conversation Partners receive 100% of what they earn — we do not take a commission — and earnings from this program are transformational. For many this is the only source of employment accessible. Even for those who are able to find small livelihood activities in refugee camps, such as sewing, soap making, and hair-cutting, the program increases their income by between 5-20x. 

Meanwhile, Conversations Unbound supports high school and university students learning Arabic, French, or Spanish. For these learners, the program provides a rich educational experience that goes beyond classroom instruction. Students strengthen their language skills through one-on-one conversation, while also engaging in meaningful cross-cultural dialogue that encourages them to think critically about forced displacement. Meeting displaced people as peers and teachers helps students develop empathy, respect, and understanding. In an era of increasingly hostile rhetoric around immigration, these encounters challenge the xenophobic narratives that divide communities.

Conversations Unbound was founded in 2015 and currently has 16 volunteer staff who run the program operations and led organizational development efforts. Through a structured 5-year growth plan, the organization seeks to scale its impact sustainably, reaching 10,000 of students and 500 Conversation Partners by 2030.