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The Lao Family Community Development foundation organized this gathering of more than 50 youths ages 14-18 on Wednesday, July 2nd. The goal was to educate and empower them to work towards positive mental health and physical wellness.
Our Program Manager supporting Newcomer Programs for Youth and Families, Abid Stanekzai, educated attendees on our services around Peer Support, Counseling and Case Management. Additional staff members, Basit Choudhary, Zarifa Yaqubi and Hamed Bahrami, also provided information to attendees on our Shifa for Youth Program and Amala Youth Hopeline; youths were encouraged to tell their peers!
Other highlights:
- A speaker led a music therapy segment, asking youths about their favorite artists and music; then, a few brave youths sang for the group!
- The importance of seeking help was discussed, youth were given tips on using the appropriate emotional vocabulary and encouraged to verbally convey emotions that are being felt while avoid generalized statements.
- Youth were encouraged to support their peers and community in advocacy and volunteer work in areas such as translation needs
- They also educated the group to advocate for themselves and for bilingual youths to consider volunteering at supporting agencies serving as translators, reducing a hurdle some of their peers face.
- Another speaker educated the group about the potential harms and dangers of technology, social media and artificial intelligence. Tips on how to protect yourself from being harassed or exploited were shared.
- The many segments of this conference kept the audience well-engaged throughout the day. Low light and a calm atmosphere contributed to attendees feeling at ease as they enjoyed the presentations and activities of the conference.
We look forward to future collaboration opportunities with the
Lao Family and other agencies in the community!
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