In 2012, the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME) launched the REFUGES program at the University of Utah. The REFUGES afterschool program addresses:

• The under-representation of women, minorities, refugees, non-native English speakers, and economically disadvantaged students in STEM disciplines.
• The academic weaknesses that refugee youth face in the Utah school system due to placement in grade levels that are not suitable to their educational backgrounds.