In This Issue

Dear friend of PAIR,

As that autumn chill creeps into the air and you prepare to gather with friends and family for the holiday season, we would like to give our thanks to you for your continued support.

Program Updates & New Names

OVER 200 YOUTH SERVED!

We are proud to announce that, with our rapid program growth, we have already served over 200 youth in our programs this semester! Read on about our new program names and for detailed updates.

PAIR is educating and empowering Houston's refugee youth

Explore.        Learn.        Lead.

PAIR youth are truly citizens of the world, and our new program names reflect our belief in these youth as they explore their new homes in Houston, learn through new educational opportunities, and succeed in becoming global leaders.

Global Explorers
This semester, we have moved Explorers to the Gulfton neighborhood, where there are more recent refugee arrivals than our previous location. When the students aren’t out exploring Houston on field trips, sessions are held at the beautiful Baker-Ripley campus provided by our partners at Neighborhood Centers Inc. Our Explorers students are paired with mentors, who have guided them through lessons about establishing goals, effective communication, embracing diversity, and maintaining healthy habits. Mentees have given presentations about their home countries, practiced their English skills, and enjoyed several fantastic field trips in the greater Houston area. At the Houston Zoo, they saw giraffes, elephants, lions and tigers and bears—oh my! At Jesse H. Jones Nature Center and Park, the kids loved playing at the interactive Redbud Hill Homestead and Akiosa Indian Village. For Halloween, we went the extra mile to explore Kemah Boardwalk for their special, spooky festivities. Groups of mentors and their mentees were able to ride a carnival ride, decorate pumpkins, catch a magic show, and even go trick-or-treating! Last Saturday, Explorers went on a tour of Baylor College of Medicine and learned about staying healthy. Last Satudray, we will have a firefighter, police officer, and FBI agent talk to the students about safety and careers in law enforcement.

An Explorer shows off his spooky pumpkin at Kemah Boardwalk

Fondren Global Learners
Global Learners at Fondren Middle School is in its third year, and we continue to expand and improve the program. It now runs four days a week, from Monday through Thursday. Each day starts with time for homework help and recreational activities. Two days a week are focused on structured English lessons, including role-play discussions, pair reading with mentors, fun writing prompts, and important grammar topics. The other two days are focused on art, self-expression, and life skills. This semester, students have been engaged in lessons on origami, mosaics, writing autobiographies, Latin dance, health, Halloween, and Día de los Muertos. Each session ends with a fun enrichment activity such as Taboo, Pictionary, building bridges, and other games to reinforce teambuilding within student and mentor groups. We have more students than ever attending the program—more than 60 this semester—and more diverse backgrounds represented. One special project involves students writing to pen pals at an orphanage in Nepal, where one of our Rice student leaders volunteered over the summer. You can check out a video greeting our students recorded here.

Students and mentors working on a reading passage

Las Americas Global Learners
The pilot program at Las Americas Middle School that launched in the spring has taken flight! We now operate two Global Learners sessions a week and have served 50 students so far this semester. Each day, mentors help students with their homework or engage them in recreational activity before the class comes together to discuss the theme for the day. Social topics covered have included friendship, goal-setting, overcoming obstacles, anti-bullying, and self-esteem. Recently, students learned about the scientific principle of buoyancy and participated in a boat building competition to see whose boat could support the most coins before sinking.  We take study breaks to play games, and once we held a dance party where students learned the macarena and cha cha slide. One Las Americas student wrote in her journal: “My favorite day is Tuesday and Wednesday because we have PAIR class and it is very fun they help me with my homework and we play and do fun things.”

A student with his boat, "The Mayflower," and a smiling mentor

Westbury Global Leaders
Our Global Leaders are climbing to the top at Westbury High School! PAIR has become more visible on campus, and its popularity continues to draw in new students at every session. It's hard to believe that the semester is almost over; it feels like we were at the WHS homecoming football game just yesterday. This fall, students have learned about setting goals, managing their time, and understanding more about their community and other cultures. Homework help in the sessions has improved the students’ grades and test results, and we've also stepped outside for some teambuilding fun. For Halloween, we had a party and danced to music from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the USA. We also held an election for leadership positions including President, VP, and class representatives. The newly-elected Leaders are taking their positions seriously and help keep other students involved! Seniors have been diligently working to prepare their Apply Texas college applications before the December 1st deadline. Global Leaders are dreaming bigger every day! Students have become more responsible and more informed young adults as they explore their future of possibilities for higher learning and life after high school graduation.

Global Leaders at the Westbury homecoming game