Ambitious by design. Clear about what comes next.
KnowArk separates current inquiry pathways from programs and collaborations still being developed. We will publish final eligibility, accreditation, enrollment and award terms only after they are approved.
Families, adult learners and authorized referrers can share learning needs for planning. No new high-school cohort is open; an inquiry is not an application or reservation.
ASU Prep outreach is exploratory. No academic agreement, approval, course access or learner enrollment route exists.
Program structures, delivery partners and participation requirements will be announced as they are confirmed.
The ALU scholarship collaboration is confirmed and KnowArk sets the award terms. Specific eligibility, award limits and application dates will be published before applications open. Admission to ALU is separate; interest does not guarantee an award.
Education should travel farther than displacement.
A young person’s education should not end because a border moved, a school closed or a family was forced to begin again. KnowArk is building flexible pathways that combine digital learning with human support so refugees and underserved learners can continue, qualify and lead.
Today, he is building an academy designed to take a chance on thousands more.
Ashraf A. Ismail · Founder & Executive DirectorKnowArk is not an abstract idea. It is a promise born from lived experience.
Ashraf left Sudan in 2004 because of his father’s political background. Years later, he returned to teach fifth-grade mathematics at St. Andrew’s Refugee Services, the same refugee center that had helped educate him. He spent roughly 18 years living as a refugee and attended school across five countries. His education began in the uncertainty of refugee learning spaces, but opportunity, scholarships, mentors and people willing to see his potential kept opening the next door.
Why KnowArk? Because Ashraf’s life is evidence that refugees do not lack ability, they are too often denied the sequence of chances that allows ability to become achievement. KnowArk exists to make those chances systematic, portable and available at scale.
Read Ashraf’s story →Program names and academic distinctions are presented from founder-provided biographical records.
Displacement interrupts school. The consequences can last for years.
Refugee learners can lose records, language continuity, safe classrooms and a clear path into the next grade. Urban learners may live close to schools while fees, documentation, transport, work pressure, xenophobia and racism keep education out of reach.
UNHCR’s 2025 Refugee Education Report. These are level-specific global refugee enrollment estimates, not one tracked cohort. Read the report.
A K–12 academy beginning where the need is most urgent.
KnowArk is developing a high-school-first K–12 model, with middle and primary grades envisioned later. Four proposed learning areas address interrupted schooling, limited career pathways, language barriers and the transition to higher education.
Proposed High School Pathway
KnowArk is contacting ASU Prep Academy to identify appropriate decision-makers and explore whether a future academic arrangement is possible. No agreement, approval, course access, credit, transcript, enrollment or diploma route exists yet. A cohort would open only after ASU Prep approval and the required contracts and authorizations.
Explore the proposed pathway →TVET
Technical and vocational education and training that develops practical, market-relevant skills for employment, entrepreneurship and greater economic independence.
Explore TVET pathways →ESL
English language learning for academic study, daily life and the workplace, helping students participate with confidence and unlock more opportunities.
Explore ESL learning →College Preparation
Academic readiness, application guidance, mentoring and scholarship navigation that help students prepare for the leap into higher education.
Explore college preparation →Online reach. Trusted local support. One inclusive learning experience.
Online access makes education portable, but no learner should have to study alone. KnowArk is exploring partnerships with refugee-serving centers to pair future digital learning with safe local spaces, educators and practical support.
Learn anywhere
Students can continue structured coursework across neighborhoods, cities and borders without restarting every time life changes.
Belong somewhere
Partner centers can provide devices, connectivity, facilitation, mentoring and a trusted place to learn alongside others.
Stay supported
Teachers and local partners help with assessment, safeguarding, attendance and learner persistence when circumstances become difficult.
Why it matters: flexibility removes distance barriers while human support protects quality, inclusion and connection.
Scholarship collaboration with African Leadership University
KnowArk has confirmed a scholarship collaboration with African Leadership University to help eligible refugee students prepare for university opportunities. KnowArk’s terms cover verified ALU tuition and mandatory academic fees up to the published cohort cap; applicants must satisfy applicable ALU admission and enrollment requirements, and renewal depends on satisfactory progress, good standing, continued enrollment and available funds.
The African Leadership University scholarship collaboration is confirmed. KnowArk’s published terms govern the scholarship process; ALU admission remains a separate requirement, and applying does not guarantee an award or admission.
A learning model designed around real life.
Refugee learners do not need a smaller version of school. They need a flexible, credible system that can keep working through movement, interrupted schedules and changing circumstances.
Online access
Lessons remain available beyond one classroom, one neighborhood or one timetable.
Local support
Partner centers can add trusted adults, connectivity and a place to learn alongside others.
Pathways forward
Academic, English, college and vocational preparation connect learning to a practical next step.
A stronger future takes all of us.
Share learning interest
Tell us about the student and the support they need.
Fund opportunity
Support learning access and future scholarships.
Host a center
Explore whether a future partner-center model could fit your community.
Share your skills
Express interest in future teaching, mentoring or volunteer roles.
Stay close to the work.
Receive program milestones, consent-based learner stories, scholarship news and practical ways to help.