Southeast Asian American Connecting Resources to Enhance the Arts for Teens and Elders (CREATE)

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With the generous support of the Verizon Foundation, Project CREATE (Connecting Resources to Enhance the Arts for Teens and Elders) is a creative venture between SEARAC and four Southeast Asian American mutual assistance associations (MAA) in California. These MAAs will foster the creativity of the participants in their youth programs by helping them to develop projects that utilize the arts to bridge the cultural divide between K-12 Southeast Asian American students and elders in their communities. These creative projects will allow Southeast Asian American youth to incorporate resources and teachings, such as library research tools, English language, different art mediums, and computer literacy skills, all taught and learned in public schools, to document and highlight oral histories and experiences of the elder generation.

Project Period:

Goals:

1. The students will apply their artistic skills to engage elders from their communities in creative, educational projects.
2. The students and elders will create stronger bonds of communication, improving social relationships between generations.
3. Both the elders and youth will create a product through the use of art to teach each other and others about their past histories, oral traditions, and hopes for the future.

Funders:

This project is funded through a generous grant from the Verizon Foundation.

California MAA Partners

• Cambodian Community Development, Inc.
• Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, Inc.
• Hmong Women’s Heritage Association
• United Iu-Mien Community, Inc.

Staff Involvement:

Jennet Sambour is the Southeast Asian American Women’s Leadership Advocate and coordinator of Project CREATE.