“We feel like one family in one place,” explained Munira when asked how living at Hope has changed her life. Munira grew up in Sudan and moved to the United States in 1999. She and her three young children have lived at Hope since 1995. Her eldest child, Fatima is 14 years old and for the past four years has spent most Saturday mornings with her peers at Hope’s Youth in the City mentoring program. Her young brother, Yaisin, age 9, looks forward to Learning in Community where he spends time reading and writing with a mentor alongside his friends. Munira also has been active at Hope and is a community leader in Hope’s tenant group that organizes activities to bring neighbors together. For Munira and her family Hope has been much more than a place to live. She says it’s a place where people care about one another and where she has built a real home for her family.
Hope Youth Leadership Programs
Our work with youth is at the center of building community for the future.
A peace-building initiative brings youth together to create a neighborhood mural, 2010. Photo: Bruce Silcox
The voices of youth at Hope are making major contribution towards change in their community. Through regular youth activities we are nurturing leaders:
Learning in Community
A community literacy program for children ages 6-9 where children thrive and learn in a community environment. LIC’s approach to developing literacy skills involves family and peer-based relationships, supporting children and parents to create and participate in home and community-based learning environments.
Youth in the City (Youth ages 10-14)
A mentorship program for adolescent youth with a focus on civic engagement action projects. Youth come to multi-week sessions throughout the year which focus on leadership, community, and acting effectively out of their talent and voice as they successfully accomplish projects together.
Teen & Young Adult: Leadership, Organizing and Art
Our work with teens and young adults creates leaders through organizing, visual arts, music, dialogue, and performance. All of these opportunities emphasize the development of skills around leadership, teamwork, and responsibility – for projects and for each other- and using your voice to advocate for yourself and your community. The context is always about being part of and contributing to community
Our work with youth is part of our larger vision for sustaining a healthy, diverse community for the long-term. In 2010, Hope worked with other South Minneapolis organizations to bring young people together for the annual midwest PeaceJam conference. View PeaceJam photos below.
Click on an image below to view it in full size.
|
|
|
|
|
|