Refugee teenagers from the World Community Leadership Development 4-H Club will be speaking at the 2nd Annual Idaho Conference on Refugees, with the goal of providing a deeper insight into the refugee population in Boise. The conference will run for two days, February 11-12, with multiple workshops throughout the day. The teens will be speaking once each day.
Under the leadership of the IRC Youth Program Coordinator, the Leadership Club serves refugee teenagers between the ages of 15 and 20 who are interested in developing leadership skils and in taking the initiative to improve their community. The club, which meets once a week after school, discusses goal setting and how to meet those goals, step by step. Students learn the basics of planning projects, running meetings, making decisions, public speaking, and other life skills.
The group has chosen two projects to take on. They are concentrating on spreading awareness of the issues affecting refugee population and understanding of their respective cultures; and to improve the hours and routes of public transportation in the Treasure Valley, a key to refugee integration in Boise.
The students are learning about civic engagement and how decisions are made regarding public transport. They have identified the stakeholders on the issue and are learning to communicate decision makers to gather and report information Recently, the students spoke at a BSU workshop as part of Martin Luther King Week celebration. The panel was sponsored by the Idaho Human Rights Education Center.
