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"By simply attending, sharing, and listening - all of you have the ability to guide, give, and teach like no other. Together, we can help our youth discover who they are now and who they will become."
-HYMP Coordinator |
The Hmong Youth Mentoring Program (HYMP) provides Hmong youth age 12 to 19 that are at risk/refugee Hmong high school students with academic tutoring, career counseling, career mentors, and individual support. Unlike conventional mentoring programs, which utilize a one-on-one style, the HYMP uses a "group approach." This team-approach exposes our youth to a variety of personalities, styles, and professions. With their personal experiences and individual skillsets, our mentors work together to educate our youths about personal and social issues and; emphasize the importance of staying in school, improving academics, and pursing higher education.
The goals of HYMP are for the youth to
1. To keep at-risk/refugee Hmong youth in school and improve academic performance
2. To provide positive support systems by developing productive and meaningful relationships with adult mentors
3. To support individual enrichment by providing extra-curricular activities and discussion groups
4. To explore one or more possible future career paths
5. To establish goals and make plans for vocational training or higher education
Program Facts/Activities/Accomplishments :
Fall 2008: (Oct 08 - Dec 08)
Participants - 11 Mentors & 16 Mentees
Mentors: 7 Full-time & 4 Part-time volunteers. Of a possible 44 total volunteer hours available, 5 served 40 or more hours and 1 served 38. The only full-time volunteer that didn't meet 38+ hours did not join our program until Oct. 27th and out of a possible 32 hours, he served 30. As for our part-time volunteers, the two who joined the program from the outset both served over 20 out of a possible 22 hours. The remaining two did not join our program until later in the fall.
Mentees: HYMP registered 16 high students throughout the Fall 2008 session. 6 students attended 36 hours or more and an additional 4 attended 30-35 hours. Four of the remaining 6 students did surpassed 20 hours.
October: 10/27 Pumpkin Carving Night - Choua Yang (Best Pumpkin)
10/29 Haunted HmongYES Halloween Potluck - Lin Lee (Mentor) Best Costume
November: 11/25 Thanksgiving Dinner - Our staff, volunteers, students, board, and our families celebrated Thanksgiving together. Thanks to the team for all their hardwork, to our volunteers and students for their time and effort, and to our board for their undying support.
December: 12/22 Celebration - Leadership Award: Xiong Yang
Choua Yang
Chong Thao
Excellence Award: Thai Yang
Kalia Yang
Choua Yang
Chue Xiong
Xai Thao
Her Yang
We are eagerly looking forward to the Spring 2009 session. The future looks bright and with more participants and better weather, we won't be slowing down anytime soon. The HYMP is also proud to announce that we are a Minnesota Twins Territory organization. Go Twins!!!!
Hopefully all of you can join us in the future.