Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been up to . . .

Programs

Early Learning Academy received a generous donation of $3,300 from the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, our longtime supporters. Ninety percent of our Early Learning Academy children are able to associate the correct sound to the letters of the alphabet. When asked, “L is for?” the children are able to connect words that began with the letter. Responses include, “L is for love,” or “L is for ladybug,” and “L is for Lion.” Fifty percent of the children demonstrated an understanding of the colors in both English and the Hmong language. For example, red translates into “liab” and purple translates into “tsam xem” in the Hmong language. Parents participated in a nutrition education workshop conducted by the Fresno Community Food Bank’s Nutrition on Wheels. Parents learned new techniques to cook healthy meals that promote healthy lifestyles. Parents walked away feeling very confident and eager to create healthy meals and snacks for their families. One parent said, “I can’t wait to make baked potato fries for my family!”

Play Group children are venturing away from their parents and socializing more with their classmates. During group time, the children greet, shake hands, and are even learning each other’s names. By participating in group activities children are learning to problem solve, share, and take turns, which are all vital skills that will last them a lifetime. Play Group had a WIC Intern this quarter that helped lead a station that encouraged parents and children to eat healthy foods. Parents donated a variety of fruits for the activity, which allowed kids to taste the different flavors. While one child was enjoying a kiwi, his mother exclaimed, “I didn’t even know he liked those!” This is an example that children are adventurous and will continue to surprise us as long as we continue to give them the opportunities.

Strong Families program graduated a group of parents and enrolled a new cohort of Hmong parents in ESL and Citizenship classes. ESL students have expressed that having a supportive one-on-one learning environment encouraged them to speak, practice their English skills. Three parents passed their Naturalization interviews and will soon join the list of 50 plus new American citizens from our program. Parents have brought their children to attend monthly Saturday workshops on topics of higher education to learn about higher education and financial resources. Staff and academic counseling volunteers took a group of parents and their teen children on an educational tour of the CSU Fresno library and campus. This was the first time on a campus for all the parents and student. Parents expressed that they learned new information about college and are looking forward to more education workshops on higher education.

Hmong Parent Leadership Group is proud to announce that May Ngia Vang and Lee Her, both active parents in the group have been honored with First 5 Fresno County’s Hands on Hero Awards! More information to come about these fantastic parents. Parents are gearing up to provide supportive environments at home for children in preparation for the annual Spring testing in the schools. We have seen the growth of parents in their abilities to articulate ideas, thoughts, and opinions that are shared with other parents to increase peer-to-peer learning. For example, during the community forum, one of the parents in our leadership group shared ways in which she engaged her two children in learning activities. She reviews math facts and sight words in the car while taxiing children from one activity to the next. She also shared her family schedule that keeps everyone on task. Many parents commented on how beneficial this forum has been for them and requested forums to take place in the near future.

Partnerships/Collaborative Projects

• Staff participated in a series of trainings and meetings about the new Health Benefits Exchange (HBEX) (part of the Affordable Care Act) and its Board meeting in March. The public meeting hosted presentations from experts and consultants about enrollment and outreach to the public about the development and implementation of HBX system. The system would serve as an online portal to help individuals purchase healthcare insurance plans.

• Staff participated in training about the new Health Benefits Exchange (HBEX) conducted by Central California Legal Services.

• I attended four meetings (of 12) of the FUSD Graduation Taskforce with other community members and district staff to strategize and make recommendations that will help increase the graduation rates of students. Taskforce members will also attend three student focus group sessions to listen to what students have to say about the drop out issue.

• Tong Lee, Vicky Xiong, parent leadership coordinator/volunteer, and I volunteered with other Hmong community members on a Hmong translation project with Microsoft Translator.  In case you missed the news, check it out at http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/technology&id=8584666 .

Funding/Support

• Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority donated $3,300 in support of the Early Learning Academy program.

• UC Riverside Hmong Student Association raised $140 in support of Early Learning Academy program field trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Thank you!

Other/News

Stone Soup recently signed onto First 5’s Breastfeeding Friendly campaign. This means that we serve as a safe place in which moms can breastfeed their children.

Upcoming events/activities

• April 12th –FUSD Graduation Task Force meeting @4pm-7pm

• April 13th – Assembly Select Committee Hearing on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, Fresno City Hall Chambers, 1pm to 4pm

• April 14th – El Dorado Park Community Playground Opening Celebration at Wesley Church campus

• April 17th @ 11:30am, Comprehensive Youth Services Awards Luncheon Honoring Kathy Garabed

• April 19th – First 5 Child Abuse Prevention/Hands on Hero Awards Luncheon @ Clovis Veterans Memorial- All Staff

• April 20th 11am- Staff Meeting

• April 21st- Strong Families Family Spring Fair @11am -1pm @ Stone Soup

• April 23rd- Alternative Discipline Workshop for ELA Parents @ 9am

• April 23rd- Demystifying the “Model Minority”: Disaggregating Data to   Promote  Academic Achievement of Southeast   Asian Students event @ 11:30m -1:30pm @ Central Valley Regional Center, Central California Children’s Health      Institute

• April 25th –First 5 Strategic Planning Lighthouse Event @ 1pm-5pm @ Radisson Hotel

• April 26th- The Children’s Movement State of Our Children Breakfast @ 7:30am-9am @  The Loft Events

• April 30th – Campaign for High School Equity Convening in Los Angeles

Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been up to…

Programs

• ELA (Early Learning Academy) children are so excited about their field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in June! They are gearing up by learning about sea animals and sea life. We have met our fundraising goal for the trip! A BIG thank you to our friends at the College Community Congregational Church for sponsor the field trip! Thank you to our parents who have also made donations!

• Play Group children and parents celebrated lots of  hugs and kisses  at their Valentine’s Day party. Young children are meeting milestones and improving social and emotional skills!

• Strong Families program parents learned about higher education and the many ways in which they can support their children’s preparedness for college. Two presenters shared their college experiences and tips on how parents can financially support their children through college. Parents are looking forward to a visit to the CSU Fresno campus. This will be their very first visit on a university campus. Parents enrolled in ESL and citizenship classes are half-way through their classes and preparing for mock interviews. Volunteer mock interviewers are always welcome.

• Parent Leadership Group’s first educational forum was a hit! Two parents presented to their peers about strategies on how to help children stay on top of their homework and enjoy learning. Parents learned about the importance of keeping a family calendar and learned new ideas to motivate children to stay engaged after school.

Partnerships/Collaborative Projects

• Staff joined other local leaders at a seminar on the new healthcare benefits exchange. The seminar provided a wealth of information about the governing body for the healthcare insurance system that will link constituencies to information and resources. Additional training for staff on the affordable care act is scheduled for March.

• The ELA and Play Group programs welcomed the first WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) intern of the year. The internship places nutrition/dietetic students in programs that serve demographically diverse populations. This encourages hands-on learning and experience.

Upcoming events/activities for March

• March 1st – Citizenship Class Mock Interviews

• March 24th – Parent group tour of CSU Fresno campus

• March 30th – Parent Leadership Forum: Test Taking Strategies

In reflection, the year 2011 brought us many successes. Your contribution sustained programs that moved us towards our mission. We served166 families on a continual basis over the year with over 250 children involved in early education, literacy, and academic preparedness. Three hundred parents engaged in their children’s education and development, and 40 youth leaders committed to community and service. Also, we celebrated 54 parents becoming new American citizens! In other aspects, we are developing new partnerships with other services providers and building stronger relationships with existing partners.

Here’s a quick look at what’s happening at Stone Soup:

Programs

• ELA (Early Learning Academy) is back in session with children involved in many exciting learning opportunities. Parent involvement in the classroom has increased. Staff has integrated Hmong language development into daily lessons. Fundraising for the June field trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium is in full swing with special sponsorship request letters sent to multiple partners. KYNO radio made a special announcement on our behalf.

• Play Group is in full swing with over 40 children ages 0-4 and parents attending twice a week. We still have a long waiting list and receive weekly calls from interested parents.

• Strong Families program has kicked off a new cohort of Hmong parents enrolled in ESL and Citizenship classes. The majority of students are high-school graduates with enough English language skills needed to grasp daily lessons on government, history, and civics. In six weeks, students will complete the class and be on their way to becoming naturalized American citizens. We are coordinating monthly workshops on subjects related to education and equipping parents with the resources and knowledge to help their children succeed in school.

• Parent Leadership Group members are busily organizing their first forum to educate and distribute information about the importance of state standardized testing and the impact on student placements. The forum is free for all Hmong parents.

Partnerships/Collaborative Projects

• Fresno Unified School District’s Parent University staff will be working closely with staff to continue providing trainings to parents on the educational system.

• SEARAC (Southeast Asia Resource Action Center) has an ongoing grant to promote and conduct community outreach on the affordable care act implementation. We are also a partner in the statewide coalition on ensuring proper implementation of the common core state standards.

• Staff is involved in the building of the Youth Engagement Team, a collaborative of youth-serving organizations, supported by the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities 10-year initiative to invest in place-based change in Fresno. Hmong youth are represented and involved in monthly leadership meetings.

• We have collaborated with three other local agencies serving Southeast Asian communities to engage in strategic advocacy efforts on economic opportunities tied to the new high-speed rail job creation.

• We are partners in the advocacy collaborative and attend quarterly meetings with DHSS and family strengthening organizations. Meetings serve the purpose to keep partners informed of policy changes that impact local families.

• We are serving on the CSU Fresno Bilingual/Dual language consortium composed of educators, community organizations, parents, and advocates whose charge is to ensure the education programs/teacher credentialing are held to the highest accreditations standards and that teaching programs reflect the language and cultural diversity of the Valley’s diverse populations.

Community

Hmong Culture & Preservation Group board members and volunteers will collaborate with Stone Soup once again to coordinate and run the Hmong Culture & Literacy Academy program this summer.

Upcoming events/activities

• February 13th Office closed (FUSD schedule)

• February 17th – Nutrition Wheels Team workshop for ELA children and parents

• February 18th- Parent Leadership Forum: Preparing Parents and Students for the Star Testing, Stone Soup

• February 20th- Holiday, Office closed

• February 24th – ELA Read and Feed event;

• February 25th- Strong Families workshop: Higher Education Part 2

Best wishes for a great 2012!

Signed in March 2010 by President Obama, the health care act focuses on the areas of quality healthcare, patient protection, access and affordability. These are important starting points to ensuring that communities throughout the nation will receive better holistic healthcare services.

Quality Care:

The implementation of policies and programs will focus on ensuring families and individuals receive quality care. This includes federal investment into community health centers, workforce expansion to areas in need and greater coverage of preventative care services.

Patient Protection:

From elimination of rescissions to enforcing fair coverage, federal regulations are being created and implemented to protect consumers.

Access and Affordability:

Medicaid’s qualifications are being expanded to include 33% more families, including those 64 years and younger. Those making a gross income greater than 133% will receive subsidies and tax credits to help make affording health insurance possible.  These are a few of the many steps being taken to allow access to affordable health care for everyone.

Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan:

You can enroll your loved ones now! Single individuals and individuals with dependents who’ve been denied health insurance, been without health insurance for the past 6 months and have a pre-existing condition can now enroll for the federally funded insurance plan. You can check it out at www.healthcare.gov or www.mrmib.ca.gov.

By 2014, all individuals will be required to have health insurance. Until then, communities must be educated and aware of the changes already taking place and be active participants in the changes that are going to take place. Becoming a part of these changes is necessary to making sure that our families and community members’ needs are addressed in all policies and programs of the health care act. Stone Soup will be creating future opportunities for families to be educated and active in ensuring their healthy future so stay tuned!

For more information, contact alice@stonesoupfresno.org

Health Insurance Exchange

SEARAC Health Facts

California Department of Health

Medi-Cal information

Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plane

Besides the challenge to stay cool in the triple digit heat, summer also brings the challenge of keeping children busy, entertained, and engaged. This summer, in response to many Hmong families’ requests, Stone Soup in partnership with the Hmong Culture Preservation Group (HCPG) brought back the popular Hmong Culture and Literacy program. First established by Hmong college students attending Fresno State, the program addresses the problems of Hmong youth dropping out of school and becoming pressured to join gangs. The program brings together Hmong teachers, cultural experts, college students, parents and community members to serve as positive role models, sharing their gifts and talents to teach at-risk Hmong youth to value the Hmong and the American culture. 

For six weeks, over one hundred Hmong children in pre-kindergarten through high school studied the Hmong language and culture under the careful direction of Hmong teachers and cultural experts. It was not until fifty-three years ago that a written language was constructed for the Hmong who possess a rich oral tradition.  If you are a native Hmong speaker, you can become literate in 30 days.  Research shows that if you are literate in your native language it facilitates the acquisition of a second language.  In this case, Hmong children becoming literate in the Hmong language will have a far greater chance of becoming proficient in English language literacy.

Building on the Hmong value for family and community, the program focused on strengthening relationships. In addition to literacy classes, children participated in cultural enrichment classes such as drama, traditional dance, music, arts and crafts, and etiquette.  Fridays presented mini-talent performances that highlighted children’s newfound literacy skills and talents. Following the show, outdoor activities encouraged families to enjoy learning together. Together, they played traditional Hmong games such as jacks, top spin, Chinese jump rope and many others. In addition, parents met as a group every week to exchange ideas for advancing their children’s academic achievement. Most inspiring of all, Hmong youth came away from the program proud of their history and heritage.

The Hmong Culture Preservation Group consists of teachers, researchers, and community members passionate and committed to a shared vision:  Hmong people have healthy identities built around their rich and vibrant culture, which serves as a foundation for being respectful, responsible, productive and caring citizens.

Thank you to the following supporters who made this program possible:  Fresno Unified School District Parent University, The California Endowment, Wells Fargo Foundation, The Kathleen Founder’s Fund, and First 5 Fresno County. A big thank you to all our parents, volunteers, and teachers who gave their time, passion, and talent.

Textbook used in teaching Hmong literacy entitled:  Cag Txuj Ntawv Hmoob text and workbook published by 3hmoobpublishing.

For many Hmong refugees, citizenship creates opportunities to advance the integration of their families into the fabric of American life. Seven years ago, Fresno received an influx of 2,000 Hmong refugees from Thailand. New to America, many Hmong refugee families faced significant challenges in finding their places in a different world. But for these new citizens, the hard work has truly paid off.

Despite challenges learning English, Hmong adult students in Stone Soup’s ESL/Civics Education class have quickly caught on to American civics and history, learning their rights and responsibilities as American citizens. Families make daily trips from throughout Fresno County to attend the citizenship class on the Stone Soup campus. Parents completed at least 45 hours of in-class instruction studying 100 American history and civics questions and participated in mock interviews in preparation for the face-to-face interview with immigration officers. With dedication and hard work, Hmong refugee parents are leading the way for their families.

Upon five years after arrival, refugees have lawful permanent residency status and become eligible for naturalization. The naturalization process can take anywhere from three months to years. Once parents obtain naturalization, their children (born outside the U.S.) can become naturalized citizens through an additional application process.

The journey for new refugees becoming new Americans calls for communitywide support. We have been most fortunate to develop a strong relationship with the North Fresno Rotary Club. Rotary members have volunteered to conduct mock citizenship exams and to offer sponsorships providing students the support and motivation to excel. We are extremely grateful for their support.

We will begin our sixth group of parents in the upcoming months and look forward to sharing more with all of you.

Whether you are a participant who wants to know what’s coming up next or a community member who might like to invest or volunteer in our success, these pages will help you keep pace with our programs. Be sure to check out our calendar. And don’t forget to bookmark our blog for all the latest features and announcements.

Thank you for visiting, and we hope to have a conversation with you soon.