Vietnamese American Civic Association

The four overarching goals of the Youth Development Program are to: 1) prepare Vietnamese youth for academic and career success, 2) advance healthy lifestyle practices and encourage educated decision-making among youth, 3) develop leadership abilities and community service values in youth, and 4) assist Vietnamese families and youth in working together to overcome the cultural and social challenges that affect an individual’s academic, social and personal well-being.

The Youth Development Program consists of the: 1) Peer Leadership Program, in which selected individuals educate their peers on topics of importance to Vietnamese teens; 2) After-School Program which provides tutoring, college preparation and counseling services, and cultural and volunteer activities; 3) Mentoring Program, which provides youth specific mentoring, counseling services, cultural support, academic achievement, mental health to address social and emotional barriers, leadership development to empower youth with the confidence and skills they need to consider pursuing leadership opportunities in their schools and community and 4) Summer WorkSmart Program which combines career exploration with volunteer and internship opportunities.

Throughout the school years, the Youth Development program at VACA has focused on areas such as Tobacco Prevention, Violence Prevention, Gender specific mentoring, and the After-School Tutoring program. We also have a Peer Leadership program where teens are paired up and given the responsibility to run one of these programs. For the educational research projects, the youth conduct research on certain topics and then create presentations for workshops organized for the Vietnamese community in Dorchester. The After-School program, on the other hand, is run by peer leaders who focus their time tutoring and mentoring younger students. They also organize fun activities during holidays and Fridays.