Education Colombia Project #5620

Mentoring displaced youth for success in Colombia

by Children Beyond Our Borders

Project Report | Mar 29, 2011
IDP youth excited to connect with e-mentors!

By Chelsea Weaver | Program Manager and Development Leader

Hello CBOB supporters!

Due the success of the 4-phase pilot program of New Horizons, 25 outstanding students, ages 16-17, will be participating in Phase 2 of the program Spring 2011 to continue their entrepreneurial and technological training to help them obtain employable skills and overcome prior adversity.

New Horizons is accomplishing more than educating children, it is instilling hope in a young generation. To advance these students even more, our e-mentors connected with our students and are guiding them along their academic and professional development. By connecting with these mentors, students have gained the most powerful resource: believing in themselves!

By becoming a sponsor of New Horizons, you can read our reports about the progress of our young entrepreneurial minds.

During Phase 1 in 2010 we had a “Meet and Greet” to introduce students to their e-mentors, and throughout initial phase they worked on the topic of self esteem through lessons on trustworthiness, values and ethics.

The next phase of mentoring component will help with career development by matching the students’ strengths with a career of their choice. As the students continue through each phase of the program, they gain the essential building blocks for future professional success, such as job interviewing skills, knowledge of the workplace, resume building, how to get experience, and money management.

With the help of generous contributions from supporters like you, we will be able to cover the costs for our current 25 youth to complete all 4 phases of New Horizons! Join with us and together we can make a sustainable impact in these student’s lives.

Comments? Questions? Advice? We would love to hear your input! Also, if you would like to get more detailed information please email us at angelica.suarez@chbob.org

Visit our website at www.chbob.org to discover new opportunities to get involved.

Thank you so much for your support!

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Nov 27, 2010
The success of good friendships!

By Angelica Suarez | Project Leader

Working on their Entrepreneurship Project!

Hello CBOB family!

Thanks to your support, New Horizons is a success!

We are successfully entering the last days of our pilot program. The kids are loving it and learning a lot! Each lesson is infused with entrepreneurship, professional skills, and technology to help shape a creative, vocationally-focused minds. We present the material in a fun and hands-on way to keep the class engaged. We have received positive responses from all of the evaluations. One student wrote, “what I like the most are the experiments and the new ways of learning things and furthermore that these things will serve to help us in the future to achieve our objectives and accomplish our goals.”

They are currently working on developing their own business ventures. The students have gained greater communication, presentation, team-building skills and much more. Our e-mentors connected with our students are guiding them along their academic and professional development. Through our mentors we have been able to increase the self esteem of our kids... our students believe in themselves... and are proud of their work!

One of our students has been accepted to college! And with your support we would like to continue change the lives of our youth!

We are now starting to plan for the next part of New Horizons program starting next year. Based on the students interests and abilities we have decided to expand New Horizons to 100 students 16-17 year olds. This program will help in harnessing student’s vocational skills and will be colored by an emphasis on the arts.

We invite you once again to join us in making a difference. We warmly welcome contributions to help sponsor this endeavor for success and creativity.

Comments? Questions? Advice? We would love to hear your input! Also, if you would like to get more detailed information about the youth final business proposals Please e-mail us at angelica.suarez@chbob.org

Visit our website at www.chbob.org to discover new opportunities to get involved.

Thank you so much for your support!

Tons of love to everyone :)

Having fun, while learning their strengths!

Links:

Visit us!

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Jun 22, 2010
Love from Medellin, Colombia

By Chelsea Arlene Weaver | Program and Fundraising Development Intern

Hello Friends!

Thank you for support and for what you have have done to help make a difference in the lives of children affected by the internal conflict in Colombia.

One of our students, José Martínez, tells us why he wants to participate in our Nuevos Horizontes program: "Porque creo que es una puerta abierta a un mejor futuro, a un mayor aprendizaje y a una nueva experiencia que es vital para la vida." "Because I think that it is an open door to a better future, a better learning and a new experience that is vital for life."

One of the most frustrating realities is the lack of regular employment opportunities and safe, healthy outlets for youth like Jose in the areas we serve in Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia. Obtaining jobs and a steady income is often difficult, and many youth have to resort to selling drugs, prostitution, or joining a gang for security and to provide some type of income for their families.

Despite life's obstacles, the youth we serve are talented and caring, and we are working together to give them fairer economic and social opportunities so that they may reach bright and prosperous futures.

These 17 youth are extremely excited about our pilot program, but we need you to help us make it happen!

A contribution from you helps so much. We still need funds for materials and teachers to provide our youth with the best mentoring and vocational training program we have to offer! Through Global Giving, we have given you the option of contributing to either the vocational or mentoring program, or both, through which will serve the same group of internally displaced adolescents.

By generously contributing now you are helping cultivate a generation of youth that can confidently pursue career opportunities despite previous social and economic disadvantages. This pilot program is the first of its kind to offer a system that stimulates self-esteem, interest, curiosity and innovation in vulnerable, internally displaced adolescents in Colombia. "I have never participated in a program of such magnitude," says Jose.

Help our students secure internship opportunities with local businesses through a program that engages and nurtures their creativity and uniqueness, and provides them with the practical education and life skills necessary to navigate suitable job opportunities in the future.

If you have want to learn more about our programs or have feedback that you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to contact us! Thank you so much for your support! E-mail us at info@chbob.org or visit our website!

With CBOB Love, Chelsea Weaver Program and Fundraising Development Intern Children Beyond Our Borders

Links:

CBOB Official Website

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