New Youth Perspectives Program - Portland Office

New Youth Perspectives: A Mentorship Program for Youth from Eastern Europe

New Youth Perspectives (NYP) is a collaborative program between Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCS) and Russian Oregon Social Services (ROSS). The program’s mission, guided the following delivery of services: provide refugee and immigrant youth with culturally and linguistically appropriate mentoring services; offer opportunities to youth to participate in service learning projects for increasing engagement with the general community; offer parent-school workshops to bridge home and school; and serve as cultural informants to families and community organizations.

Targeted population:

Male and Female Youth from Eastern Europe
Ages 12-18
FOUR county area (Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Clark counties)
Must be from Eastern Europe and/or the former USSR.

NYP Goals/ Program Activities

Mentoring one-on-one
Parental Involvement
Cross-Cultural Community Awareness

Volunteer Opportunities
Mentoring has been shown to improve school performance and reduce illicit drug use, underage drinking, and violence among young people. Experts say that the key reason mentoring works is that it enhances an adolescent’s self-esteem and instills a sense of hope for the future. Research consistently shows that relationships with caring adults, in addition to one’s parents, can help a young person grow up healthy.

Primary Responsibilities of NYP Mentors

Weekly meeting with the mentee (minimum 1.5 hour/week for 6 months)
Concrete help one-on-one for improved engagement in their schools and community
Help with homework (ESL, math, reading, and other subject areas)
Consistent support and guidance
Attending quarterly project activities together (which focus on life skills, team building, career development, and recreation)
Quarterly progress reports to NYP staff (additional reports, if needed)
Intercultural and interpersonal competency for working with refugee/immigrant mentees and their families
Complete required orientation and training sessions
Maintain regular contacts with NYP staff.

Mentor Requirements

You are a fun person to be with
You are a role model
You are a friend
You are a big brother or sisterYou are open
You provide guidance without judgement
You are respectful and dependable
You are trustworthy
You challenge the youth to reach his/her full potential

All NYP volunteers are subject to background and criminal history checks. The selected mentors will receive volunteer orientations provided by LCSNW staff, attend NYP mentor trainings, and participate in mentor/mentee quarterly activities.

Additional Services

Parent-School Workshops: providing workshops to parents for understanding school/educational system. Provide information and referrals to resources and services in the general community.

Cross-Cultural Presentations: NYP will provide cross-cultural presentations to local schools and service providers working with refugees and immigrant communities.

New Youth Perspectives is funded through a grant from the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette

For more information, please contact:
Faridah Haron	NYP Program Coordinator	(503) 731-9521
Deanna Ansary	NYP Volunteer Coordinator	(503) 231-7480 ext. 673
Alex Pavlenko	NYP Youth Development Specialist; Clark and Washington Counties, Russian language	(360) 694-5624 ex.17
Richard Kearney	NYP Youth Development Specialist, ROSS office, Multnomah County, Russian language	(503) 777-3437