Mentorship Program

ESL tutoring proposal, including the state of the
current ESL volunteer program that we want to significantly expand via this proposal and funding request

We are currently running an active ESL tutoring program in which volunteers complete a background check and are paired tutors based on their age, needs and time availability. Currently each tutor and tutee meet based on their discretion. There are currently 10 active individuals enrolled in said program as it is new, we aim to expand this initiative significantly with the aid of additional funding. We have seen a significantly positive response from said meetings and genuinely believe in the messaging behind it.

We are witnessing a worldwide surge in the
number of people who have been forced to flee their homes, a number unparalleled in the post-WWII era. (Raithelhuber, 2018). Given the current climate in the United States, there is a great deal of discussion surrounding immigration and
refugees. Fear, misperceptions, and lack of information have created a climate of uncertainty about offering support, services or a helping hand to many groups of "new" Americans. Tapestri aims to educate and spread awareness on this topic whilst running a successful mentorship program that aims to help immigrant/refugee youth in a variety of unique ways, including, providing language tutoring and job opportunities, teaching a new culture and facilitating a connection to school.

It should be noted that our clients have experienced a physical and/or psychological level of trauma that will affect them on a day to basis and bleed into other aspects of their lives- affecting their confidence and ability to integrate effectively into a new culture. Our clients have left their homelands and loved ones and often experience separation anxiety and PTSD, not to mention language barriers and lack of understanding in relation to Western culture. This is only exacerbated when the individual that is enduring trauma is a minor. Through a variety of factors, the unaccompanied minors who enroll in our programs often do not have a successful, emotionally/financially stable adult in their lives to look up too. During these vulnerable years, it is Tapestri's job to ensure that said individuals are given the resources and tools necessary to combat these obstacles and become the best version of themselves possible.

Many children enrolled in our program feel an added burden of stress having been sent (often against their will) to the United States to "take care of their family". For example, often the children are expected to send American money back to their home countries to support their families given the strong exchange rate. This affects their schooling and opportunity for tertiary education and long-term success as they are stressed by financial burdens and guilt. We have noted that many children enrolled in our programs drop out or quit schooling in order to work and earn money, thereby jeopardizing their ability to further their education and success in the future. During FY19 alone, 16 of our UC cases were closed due to no contact with the sponsor and child for over 30 days. We suspect many of those cases were closed due to the minor seeking
employment to support their family in their country of origin. Through the UC Mentorship Program. We aim to ensure that our mentors guide these children in the right direction and show them the importance of education to encourage them to
complete their schooling whilst simultaneously building their confidence both academically and mentally.

Through established board and volunteers, we aim to create a strong group of mentors to guide our UC program. These mentors will be placed through a screening process to ensure anonymity and the safety of both the clients and the tutors. Said mentors will then receive a basic mentor training from a Tapestri Staff member. These individuals will be paired with a mentee who matches their interests and goals. It should be noted that we are aiming to create strong consistent relationships for our mentees hence a particular level of commitment is required from the mentor. This should be done in cultural, linguistic, and gender-sensitive ways. A comprehensive analysis by
a Tapestri staff member of each minor's specific needs vulnerabilities and capacities in each context is essential in order to provide for effective humanitarian and educational response. This initial staff analysis will establish if there are any practical, financial, physical, security-related, structural, institutional, or socio-cultural concerns that are preventing learners from participating in and completing a mentorship program. Therefore, an appropriate minimum level of access must be guaranteed in conjunction with enabling environments and measures to ensure regular attendance, motivation
completion and progression through said program.

We have established a connection with The Boy Scouts of America and aim to utilize this relationship to also create mentorship opportunities as well as establish friendships across similar age groups of refugees/immigrants and American youth. Thus, furthering both parties' knowledge of unfamiliar cultures whilst promoting inclusivity and friendship that does not discriminate. The life skills and mantra surrounding the Boy Scouts of America embodies the ethos of our mentorship program.