Youth Program
Our youth program moves beyond providing direct services encouraging young people to consider the root causes of violence. We help young people learn to critically examine HMoob culture, history and gender- based violence through a series of activities, exercises, and workshops.
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In our work, we maintain Cia Siab, Inc. through the four pillars of hope. We understand that our work has to be holistic, address the needs of the community, as well as the root causes of violence, and build leadership skills and positive cultural identity in order to change the hearts and minds of our people.
We balance this critique with activities, exercises, workshops and events designed to rebuild self-esteem, reinforce positive cultural identity, and encourages them to enlist in the fight to create a better, less violent and equitable world. This balance between analysis of the world as it is, and dreaming of the world as it could be, is imperative to the success of our work to maintaining Cia Siab, Inc.
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Goals of Youth Program:
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Provide a safe space and a support network for HMoob youth;
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Connect them culturally, socially, emotionally, and politically through safe, confidential open dialogue;
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Individual/group mentorship;
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Leadership building
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When: Tuesdays 4pm to 6pm
*Free transportation and meals provided
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For more information contact our Youth Advocates Der, Lawfu, or John at (608) 615-7117 ext. 3.
"Our youth program is best explained through the analogy of a tree. There are four essential parts to the tree: the root system; the trunk; the branches; and the flowers or fruits that it produces. The root system represents our ancestors or Elders. The trunk symbolizes our current support system, our parents/guardians and extended families. The branches are our support network of good friends, encouraging teachers, and other healthy, caring mentors, like those our youth find at Cia Siab. They are the people who encourage us to grow--or branch out--in a direction that will give us better access to the sun, or shades us from too much sun, depending on our needs. The fruit or the flowers symbolize our young people, the reason why the roots, trunk, and branches come together: to support them and help them grow and thrive."
- Dr. Xong Xiong, Executive Director