On 22 July 2022, members of Together We Can Change The World (TWCCTW) visited MSRI School and office to see in-person how our work has made a difference in the lives of our students. 

A group of ambassadors from Together We Can Change the World, a longtime supporter of MSRI, came to visit, bringing magic for the younger students, lunch for the teachers, and an opportunity for each person on the trip to have dinner with a refugee family. One of the visitors, Jeff Civilico, is a Las Vegas headliner who has been featured on many television shows doing the kind of magic tricks and interactive comedy that he used with the MSRI students in attendance. The highlight of the experience, according to all the ambassadors from Together We Can Change the World, was getting to have a home cooked meal in the students’ homes. The group provided money for each of the host families, for food shopping, and the families provided unforgettable meals and experiences for their guests.

TWCCTW Co-Founder Jana Stanfield, who volunteered in the MSRI office before and after the visit, said that when the group members reflected on their MSRI visit, each ambassador said they believed that got the best family, and the best experience.

“Our motto at Refugee Film School,” Jana said, “Is ‘Make friends with a refugee, then you’ll understand.’ That was true for every visitor from Together We Can Change the World. We’ve been supporting MSRI with donations, computers, and food distribution to families during lockdown, but the most meaningful experience for every person, and the part they loved the most, was being welcomed into a refugee home, and being able to spend the evening creating the bond of friendship.”