Womens Initiative For Self- Empowerment

Programs: International medical graduate career guidance & support program is provided by wise in partnership with the new americans alliance for development (naad). The vision of integrating foreign trained professionals, immigrants and refugees, is to develop a sufficient, diverse, culturally and linguistically appropriate workforce in minnesota. The unique program provides information, education, resources, mentorship and advocacy to new immigrants and refugees who are foreign trained professionals in need of recertification to work in the us. As part of wise long-range strategic planning process, the agency has decided to spin off this program to naad beginning july 1, 2018, to focus on its college preparation and support, and domestic and sexual violence prevention programs.

healthy relationships is a program funded by the federal office of violence against women. This program is dedicated to educating the women and men in the west african community in twin cities about what a healthy relationship looks like. Working in collaboration with the new american alliance for development (naad) and tubman family crisis and support services, wise created a culturally appropriate curriculum that can be used to train community members to be health relationships circle facilitators. This program model is creating a community infrastructure where community members are leading the healthy relationship program. In 2018 the healthy relationships ovw funding will sunset, and wise will develop new programming in the area of dating violence/cyberstalking/stalking/trafficking prevention for immigrant and refugee girls and young women.

ggal provides an opportunity for 6th-12th grade immigrant and refugee girls to prepare for college, improve academic skills, and build leadership skills with other girls facing similar challenges. Girls getting ahead in leadership is designed to create a community of support for the participants and their families. Its number one goal is to help ggal participants to dream big, and then create realistic plans to achieve those dreams. The program activities include: one-on-one college preparation and english literacy support; leadership and career exploration; group field trips and college visits; financial literacy skill development; self-confidence building; mentorship program; and healthy relationship workshops. During fiscal year 2017 the girls getting ahead in leadership (ggal) program served 55 immigrant/refugee girls in grades 6-12. The program worked in partnership with washington technology magnet school, the international academy leap, como park senior high school, harding senior high school, and johnson senior high school. The student demographics showed 36. 45% karen, 21. 85% asian, 10. 95% african, 9. 15% oromo, 9. 1% somali, 7. 3% hmong, and 5. 2% latinx. The learning disabilities association of mn provided writing assessments and support to ggal participants during fy 2017. During the summer session the ggal participants focus on the arts, college prep and leadership development. Ggal collaborated with ananya dance, cycles for change, mu performing arts, and ctv during its summer programming.