Over the past six weeks, 20 migrants that live in Maryland have had the opportunity to participate in the first cohort of an entrepreneurship program implemented by SAMU First Response in partnership with the organization Second Chance called Emprende- RV Migrantes. This program combined in person and virtual reality activities that were used as a learning resource to develop business ideas of migrants that have recently arrived to the United States looking for a better life.

During each class, the cohort would use the time to learn valuable lessons about developing a business and the necessary steps to do so in the United States. Each participant had the opportunity to use a virtual reality program that helped develop necessary skills and provided real life simulations of business development. The classes also provided an opportunity for each participant to discuss and present to the cohort their business ideas that they hoped to implement.

This program was a key resource that aided in their journey to economic independence. The key purpose of this program was to develop economic empowerment, social integration, skill development, and barrier reduction. With this program, the hope is that these participants will be able to take the skills that they learned in these classes and use them to implement their own business to support the life that they hope to create in a new country. This is one of the many programs that SAMU First Response is working on to help incoming migrants create a sustainable and economically independent life in the United States. We are grateful to Second Chance, YMCA, Catholic Charities, and Humanitarian Action for their support in the program. We look forward to continuing this program to help many more entrepreneurs.