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Lyn Morland BRYCS Tessie Ajala CARI

2. AGENDAIntroductionsPositive Youth Development (PYD): 7 PrinciplesPowerful Partnerships: Engaging Law Enforcement Refugee Youth Leaders Speak OutQ

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Lyn Morland BRYCS Tessie Ajala CARI

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    3. 3 Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services (BRYCS) National technical assistance (TA) provider on refugee children, youth, and families for the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR/ACF/DHHS) Project of Migration & Refugee Services, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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    5. 5 The Center for African Refugees and Immigrants (CARI) is a national division of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC)

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    7. 7 What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?

    9. 9 What is Positive Youth Development (PYD)? Strengths-based approach focusing on assets within youth, their families, communities Resiliency - one's capacity to "bounce back" or recover from adverse events Ecological context of youth’s lives PYD is NOT ... denial of problems or seeing kids through “rose-colored glasses” (enlarges view) Given the advantages of biculturalism and what that can look like for Somali youth, how can we support biculturalism for Somali youth, what are some evidence-based practices that programs can adapt and use? I’ll briefly go over one – Positive Youth Dev’t – and Alima next will discuss a family strengthening model she has adapted and uses in her work. Almost every day we hear BAD NEWS about youth – this includes crime, gangs, and recently, the disappearance of about 20 Somali youth from the Minneapolis/St Paul area to fight with a terrorist group in Somalia. Some of these kids seemed quite successful on the outside, including one in medical school. What does the research say about this? Little direct research on this one issue but there is plenty now on what works for youth in general, and we know much more now on what is effective programming for refugee and immigrant youth. Biculturalism – youth need support from and identification with BOTH their “worlds” – their family, ethnic background, and success in this culture – if you have success in one without the other, then you have a “gap” or weakness with kids “aching to belong” – and vulnerable to adults or other youth who can help them feel like they belong – in positive or in negative ways - which can lead to “mainstream” academic and career success on the one hand or to gang membership on the other. PYD focuses on youth POTENTIAL rather than current problems – and says it is not enough to prevent problems – we also need to support youth DEVELOPMENT, and leadership development. Like Sufia – she is not in trouble in any way, but neither is she branching out from her family and Somali friends… she needs to develop her abilities in American culture to be truly bicultural… We all need MEANING in our lives to stay on track – and where do we get that meaning? We get it from our family, our community, our religion. If we can make sure that our kids get POSITIVE meaning and reinforcement – through their family or other positive role models, school, and community – then we have won at least half the battle.Given the advantages of biculturalism and what that can look like for Somali youth, how can we support biculturalism for Somali youth, what are some evidence-based practices that programs can adapt and use? I’ll briefly go over one – Positive Youth Dev’t – and Alima next will discuss a family strengthening model she has adapted and uses in her work. Almost every day we hear BAD NEWS about youth – this includes crime, gangs, and recently, the disappearance of about 20 Somali youth from the Minneapolis/St Paul area to fight with a terrorist group in Somalia. Some of these kids seemed quite successful on the outside, including one in medical school. What does the research say about this? Little direct research on this one issue but there is plenty now on what works for youth in general, and we know much more now on what is effective programming for refugee and immigrant youth. Biculturalism – youth need support from and identification with BOTH their “worlds” – their family, ethnic background, and success in this culture – if you have success in one without the other, then you have a “gap” or weakness with kids “aching to belong” – and vulnerable to adults or other youth who can help them feel like they belong – in positive or in negative ways - which can lead to “mainstream” academic and career success on the one hand or to gang membership on the other. PYD focuses on youth POTENTIAL rather than current problems – and says it is not enough to prevent problems – we also need to support youth DEVELOPMENT, and leadership development. Like Sufia – she is not in trouble in any way, but neither is she branching out from her family and Somali friends… she needs to develop her abilities in American culture to be truly bicultural… We all need MEANING in our lives to stay on track – and where do we get that meaning? We get it from our family, our community, our religion. If we can make sure that our kids get POSITIVE meaning and reinforcement – through their family or other positive role models, school, and community – then we have won at least half the battle.

    10. 10 Why use the “Positive Youth Development” approach with refugee youth? Avoid risk of further marginalizing refugee youth Engage successfully with youth, families, and communities Create services that are evidence-based If refugee youth are provided special violence prevention programs, for example, even with all the best intentions, it implies that they are singled out for this service – when working with communities, they have often complained that this makes their children seem “violence prone” and requested that a program (funded with violence prevention money) be focused on promoting success in school. And there is plenty of research now that supports that this approach is more effective than the problem-focused approaches.If refugee youth are provided special violence prevention programs, for example, even with all the best intentions, it implies that they are singled out for this service – when working with communities, they have often complained that this makes their children seem “violence prone” and requested that a program (funded with violence prevention money) be focused on promoting success in school. And there is plenty of research now that supports that this approach is more effective than the problem-focused approaches.

    11. 11 In other words, youth are less likely to get involved in crime when they participate in community affairs, and when they have a voice in public dialogue. All of these lessons are now known as “positive youth development” or the “youth development approach” .

    12. 12 Strengths-based Approach

    13. 13 BRYCS Promising Practices Initiative Criteria Recommended as “successful” by other service providers, public or private funders, experts in the field Based on risk and protective factors drawn from current research on the adjustment of refugee and immigrant youth Results-focused, demonstrating the ways that youth benefit from services

    14. 14 7 Principles Partner with the community from the start Engage entire family, especially parents Recruit, support and develop staff from the community Strengthen positive ethnic identification, bicultural identity Encourage youth leadership in the program and in their communities Support academic success & career development for youth Build bridges with mainstream organizations & businesses

    15. RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS Protection - it is our duty to protect our youth from harm. Listening – we must listen before we can help. Education – provide academic, legal, cultural, financial, social, and spiritual education. Engagement – we must engage our youth in family, community, after school, neighborhood watch, and advocacy issues. Enlightenment – participate in other socio-cultural activities, sports, games, professional clubs, and travel. Keep them safe – do not hesitate to prevent crime by reporting suspicious/criminal activities – your call might prevent a disaster and safe lives.

    16. 16 What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?

    18. Shaman Paja Thao laments http://members.aol.com/hmongstudies/hsj.html: The Split Horn

    19. "My parents, especially my mom, was against my friends and Amber. They wanted me to follow tradition. Like date Asians, and have kids with Asians.” – Xue. Paja's 16-year old son Xue is too busy to help with his father's ceremonies. After school he works at the pizza parlor and would rather hang out with Amber, his Caucasian girlfriend. Xue's parents are upset that he is dating a non-Hmong, while Amber's Catholic parents remind her that she should not marry outside her race. One night after leaving their high school talent show, Paja's son, Xue and his girlfriend Amber reveal that she is pregnant. Both families discourage them from keeping the baby.

    21. BEST PRACTICES FOR BRIDGING THE GAP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SAFE THE YOUTH Police in the U.S. are trained to uphold public trust. Police are trained to help with neighborhood disputes. Partner with police focused on solving problems instead of reacting to crisis. If you plan to invite law enforcement in a program or activity, include them during the planning stages. Act first, don’t wait for the police Challenge law enforcement officers to compete in your favorite sports with refugee youth Invite Child Protective Services officials to talk about parenting, child abuse, and child protection laws.

    22. BEST PRACTICES FOR BRIDGING THE GAP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SAFE THE YOUTH Future Agents in Training (FAIT) Learn how the FBI can assist in the protection of our youth and communities. To learn more about the FAIT program please visit: (http://washingtondc.fbi.gov/fait/fait.htm). Attend police training sessions and contribute. Take advantage of the police ride-along program for the youth Endeavor to approach the police with your concerns – they might not know to come to you. Encourage youth to volunteer in law enforcement activities. Multicultural Store Front – 211 San Diego Assists various multicultural communities, including Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese) and East African (Ethiopian and Somali), by providing communication with the police department. Police staff act as translators to advise residents concerning cultural differences, criminal investigations, traffic matters, and crime prevention. Personnel are available for group presentations and individual assistance.

    23. 23 What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?

    25. Selected BRYCS Youth Publications Growing Up in a New Country: A Positive Youth Development Toolkit for Working with Refugees and Immigrants (2006) Blessed with a Difficult Task: Refugee Youth and the Transition to Adulthood (2006) Helping Refugee Youth Find the Right Path (2007) Promising Practices in After-School Programming for Refugee Youth and Children (2005) Refugee Youth and the Juvenile Justice System (2004) Strengths-Based Programming: The Example of Somali Refugee Youth (2009) Youth Voice: Listening to Refugee and Immigrant Youth (2008) Refugee Children in the U.S. Schools: A Toolkit for Teachers and School Personnel   (2009) 25

    26. 26 Contact Us! Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services (BRYCS) Web site: www.brycs.org Email: info@brycs.org Phone: 1-888-572-6500

    27. 27 What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?What does the research say – limited though it still is! – about what refugee youth need and what programming is most effective for them?

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