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Columbus State Community College
550 East Spring Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 287-2440 (Phone)
(614) 287-6247 (Fax)

Columbus State Community College (CSCC) initiated afterschool communities in 2003 to address the urgent educational, linguistic and cultural needs of Columbus' immigrant/refugee population. This aligns with CSCC's mission to meeting "the life-long learning needs of its community".

ESL Afterschool Communities
$300,000
Suzanne Schaefer
(614) 287-5713
sschaefe@cscc.edu

Abstract

Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio designed and delivers a comprehensive afterschool program to immigrant and refugee youth for whom English is a second language. The ESL Afterschool Communities (ESLAsC) are located within the apartment complexes where participating Somali Bantu youth reside, in order to eliminating transportation challenges. The Somali Bantus were originally brought to Somalia as slaves and have consistently experienced discrimination in their homeland. They were primarily farmers and many never received formal education. The population also experienced prolonged periods in refugee camps. These conditions combined to present a host of educational, health and behavioral concerns for the population. Specifically, the project targets 30 male and female Somali Bantu youth ages 10-13 living in the Wedgewood Village apartment complex on Columbus' west side. More than 200 Somali families live in the complex. Strategies, practices and interventions include homework assistance, field trips, a career-path development plan, campus tours and an alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence prevention program. Expected outcomes include reduction in or elimination of high-risk behaviors, strengthening of protective/resiliency factors, and development of sustainable basic life skills needed to deal with the demands of everyday life. Performance measures include the number of individuals (unduplicated) participating in OMH-funded grant program per year, the number and percent of individuals with increased awareness, knowledge of racial/ethnic minority health problems and how to address such problems as a result of OMH-funded program participation and the number of partnerships facilitated and/or established to enhance coordination and collaboration on racial/ethnic minority health/health disparities.

OMH objective(s) toward which the project's results most contribute:

• Increased awareness, education, & outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health & health disparities problems