Youth Group

Contact: Priscilla Lee, Priscilla.Lee3@umassmed.edu

Omar Taweh, omar@worcesterrefugees.org

Nathan Yingling, nathan@worcesterrefugees.org

Refugee youth hold a tremendous burden of responsibility to succeed in the US, often being the hope for the new generation. Those with the opportunity to go to school will be the first to earn professional degrees and establish a career to support their families in both the US and their home countries. Some young people are too old to go to high school when they enter the US; these youth often enter blue-collar work, though they might desire more skilled and well-paid jobs. Refugee youth often are responsible for providing their community with support, often by serving as translators, helping children of other families with homework, and being a source of networking with the Worcester social and economic sphere. 

Bringing refugee youth from various parts of world together fosters community bonding among kids and young adults with shared experiences, providing them with a means to develop social networks. The WRAP Youth Group consists of adolescents from various ethnicities, religions, and languages. Through peer leadership and mentoring, refugee youth can explore issues of identity and develop a sense of place in their new world.

The WRAP youth group currently has around 35 members aged 12-19 who get together weekly or bi-weekly. The youth group also explores different activities such as yoga, rock-climbing, apple picking, boxing, dance, ice-skating, bowling, and baseball.  

The youth group is also connected with the mentoring program. Supporting refugee youth to improve their performance in school, and through guidance counseling for opportunities in higher education education. As high school students are preparing for their futures in various trades or in higher education, the youth group encourages community members in Worcester to become mentors for the teens.