Hmong Enrichment Summer Camp

Overview

HESC 2021 Youth Circles comprised of two groups, one in-person and the other online. In addition to their Hmong language course, students learned a variety of topics related to mental health, general health, and college/career readiness skills. They also completed a mental health project & general health project and participated in a mock interview during the last week of the program

Program Content

Mental Health
Each week, students were presented with different topics related to mental health. Program staff facilitated group wellness check-ins and led wellness activities with the interns. Activities included open discussions, drawing objects that represented their minds as well as sharing their self-care activities with one another. Throughout the program, the students worked on creating a narrative self-portrait representative of how they feel the world sees them on the outside and how it affects the way they feel about themselves on the inside. The purpose of this project was to provide an artistic outlet for them to express themselves and showcase the ways in which their mental health has been impacted by their external environment.

General Health
Hmong Nurses Association (HNA) came to the school site and presented information related to body parts, healthy organ nutrition and preventative measures to the in-person group of students. During these presentations, they also learned a variety of Hmong terminologies. They applied the knowledge they gained by selecting food items for HYPU's summer food giveaways. Additionally, they created a visual piece and reviewed body parts to the younger students in the HESC program.

College & Career Readiness
Every week of the program, students either received college readiness or career exploration knowledge. The curriculum consisted of distinguishing the different types of college education, college preparedness, college entrance examinations (such as the PSAT, SAT, & ACT), Financial Aid (FAFSA), college application process, resume building, and interview skills. Interns also had the opportunity to meet with SAC PD officers to discuss potential career options within that field of work.

Communication through the Generations
To encourage confidence in their Hmong conversational fluency, the virtual students connected with Hmong elders in HYPU’s Senior Day Program to practice their speaking skills.