Stratus-io: Enhancing School Management at FORA
In 2023, the United States admitted 60,014 refugees, marking a significant increase from the previous year. While these individuals seek a better life, many face challenges. To navigate these obstacles, refugees turn to organizations dedicated to helping them excel in a new country. One such organization is FORA, a tutoring organization for Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) refugees.
FORA sought our revolutionary time and attendance software to enhance their school management capabilities. Recognizing their community’s unique needs, they requested different language options for our SMS messaging tool, which we gladly provided. This feature was essential in addressing communication barriers for those not proficient in English.
At Cloud-in-Hand® Solutions Platform, we are dedicated to creating solutions that cater to our clients’ diverse needs. In this blog, we will discuss how we helped FORA and explore other features of our software that could benefit any organization.
What is FORA?
FORA (Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 by a group of dedicated individuals committed to welcoming refugees to the United States. To achieve this, they joined local organizations’ refugee and asylee welcoming teams, hosting over a dozen asylum seekers in their homes. While they serve refugees of all nationalities, their classes are primarily filled with recently arrived Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who lack basic literacy and numeracy skills despite speaking multiple languages. They also serve refugees from Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, and other countries, locating themselves where the need is greatest. FORA has grown significantly, with a waiting list of refugees seeking tutoring. While they have 16 Afghan refugees in their program right now, they are currently integrating 26 more Afghan refugees, many of whom have poor reading skills.
Our Partnership with FORA
FORA Refugee is using the Stratus-io Time and Attendance software to manage student attendance. With our software, the organization is able to track students’ daily attendance, monitor absences and tardiness, notify parents through SMS/TEXT, and much more. Since parents receive SMS messages notifying them when their child has been marked late or absent, they are kept updated on their children’s attendance, ensuring better communication and involvement.
However, FORA Refugee identified that many parents were not proficient in English, creating a communication barrier. In response, we developed multi-language SMS notifications to cater to the diverse linguistic needs of the parents. Additionally, we introduced MMS notifications with photo messages, which greatly assist parents who are illiterate, ensuring they receive and understand important updates regarding their children’s attendance. These customized features have significantly enhanced FORA’s school management, ensuring that every parent, regardless of their language proficiency or literacy level, stays informed and engaged in their child’s education.
Key Features of Stratus-io for FORA
We are immensely proud to support a wonderful organization like FORA with our advanced features. Our mission is to streamline management processes for our clients, making their operations more efficient. Below are the key features of Stratus-io that have been beneficial for FORA:
Attendance Tracking
Our robust attendance tracking system allows FORA to efficiently monitor student attendance, identify patterns of absent students, and address them promptly. This tracking ensures accurate records and enhances student accountability.
Multi-Language Support
A standout feature for FORA Refugee is the multi-language support in our SMS notifications. Parents receive messages in their native languages, breaking down communication barriers and ensuring clarity. This has been crucial in keeping parents informed about their children’s attendance and academic progress.
SMS/MMS Notifications
Our SMS and MMS notification system keeps parents updated on their child’s attendance status. Whether a student is absent or tardy, parents are immediately informed, enabling timely interventions. The inclusion of photo messages in MMS notifications ensures that even illiterate parents can understand the messages.
Tailor Alerts to Your Organization’s Needs
Our software gives you the flexibility to customize a wide variety of alerts to suit your specific needs. Below are some examples of alert types you can configure:
- On-Time Check-In – Notify when a person checks has checked in on-time
- Missed Check-In – Notify when a person fails to check in by the designated time
- Late Check-In – Notify when a person checks in after the designated cut-off time.
- Check-Out Notification – Notify when a person checks out.
- Absence Notification – Notify when a person is absent or fails to check in.
These customizable alerts ensure that every parent or supervisor stays informed and can take action when necessary.
Conclusion
In summary, our partnership with FORA Refugee shows how tailored technology can significantly improve community support. By using Stratus-io Time and Attendance software, FORA has enhanced school management and bridged communication gaps with multi-language SMS and MMS notifications. At Cloud-in-Hand® Solutions Platform, we’re proud to support initiatives that make a real difference!
