The West Michigan Asian American Association’s Asian and Pacific Islander youth mentorship program will address unique educational disparities for high school juniors and seniors coming from Burmese, Bhutanese, and Nepalese communities.
“West Michigan is a really unique region poised to receive a lot of refugees and new immigrants in this country. These smaller Asian groups are the fastest growing population in the West Michigan community.”
Yilin Wendland-Liu is a board member of the association and co-lead on the mentorship project which received a three-year grant of $126,000 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
She says the high schoolers will be mentored by Asian Americans in college or recently graduated young professionals after a needs assessment is done on what challenges each student faces.
“This could vary from one individual to another. Maybe this individual struggle with math, and that individual struggles with mental health, and another with financial aid or housing or food.”
The goal is to address barriers inherent in systemic racism, and to help the students graduate from high school then create a career plan through college or vocational school.
The grant is on a three-year cycle, so the association has plans to launch the program now, then renew and expand it.
