LEAF, Children First to participate in State Department program

Press Release

Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County

Children First/Communities In Schools (CIS)  in Asheville, NC and LEAF  Schools & Streets are participating in the Community Solutions Program of the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with IREX.  Amgalanzaya Tserenbaljir (Amaa) from Norwegian Lutheran Mission in Ulaanbator, Mongolia is placed at Children First/CIS. Lea Linin is placed at LEAF Schools & Streets.  These local non-profit organizations are two of 60 U.S. organizations to host Community Solutions Leaders from more than 30 countries this fall.

The Community Solutions Program is a professional development program for the best and brightest global community leaders working in the fields of transparency and accountability, tolerance and conflict resolution, environmental issues and women’s issues. The program matches global leaders with organizations across the United States to collaborate on projects and leave better positioned to make lasting change in their home communities.

Children First/Communities In Schools (CIS) of Buncombe County is a local non-profit that empowers economically disadvantaged children & families through advocacy, education and direct services.

LEAF is a non-profit organization, building community, connecting cultures and enriching lives through the arts – locally and globally – with festivals, community events, and arts education programs. LEAF Schools & Streets is an educational outreach program matching artists with youth in schools and communities for hands-on workshops, residencies, interactive performances and mentoring that includes opportunities for youth to perform with the artists at LEAF – and beyond.

Amaa, placed at Children First/CIS, graduated from the School of Foreign Services with a degree in International Relations. In her native country, she works in the health sector for Norwegian Lutheran Mission as a Project Coordinator for primary Health Care. She coordinates health education, developmental trainings and physician recruitment to assist communities of western Mongolia. Her work brings her in contact with over 22 ethnic groups who mostly live a nomadic lifestyle in a harsh climate with a high mortality rate, so teaching healthy living is both challenging and rewarding. Once her fellowship is completed, Amaa will implement a follow-up project on Peace Education with 9^th graders living in her home city of Ulaanbator, with an emphasis on a curriculum to reduce verbal bullying and harassment.

“My goal at the end of my 4 month fellowship with Children First/CIS is to gain skills personally and professionally,” says Amaa. “Specifically, I want to learn new approaches in how to get my community members to volunteer and participate.”

“We are excited to have Amaa join our staff for the next 4 months,” says Allison Jordan, Executive Director for Children First/CIS. “There are some shared challenges in the work she is doing in Mongolia and the work we are doing in Buncombe County. Poverty is a global issue.  Food scarcity, lack of access to healthcare and a need for quality education spans cultures and geographical boundaries.”

Lea Linin has over five years working experience within the NGO sector in Macedonia, assisting in the coordination of and coordinating community development, youth, and cultural projects. She is also working as a researcher focusing on the themes of urban ecology, politics of memory, national identities, and cultural diversity.

“The Community Solutions Program offers me an opportunity to take up the role of an anthropologist and insert myself into the working context of two US non-for-profit organizations, LEAF Community Arts and Voices United, to observe but also actively participate in projects and the community,” stated Lea. “This is an experience that tests your versatility and encourages your confidence and creativity. And it’s quite immersive.”

For more information, please visit http://www.exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/community-solutions

LEAF Community Arts creates empowering arts education programs locally & globally, & is fueled by our signature festivals for families & friends. LEAF Schools & Streets has both IN-SCHOOL and AFTER-SCHOOL programs. We are in public, private, charter and home schools. LSS also works in public housing communities, community centers, group homes, juvenile detention facilities and more.

Children First/Communities In Schools of Buncombe County is a local non-profit that provides programs to economically disadvantaged children & families. These include: Family Resource Center at Emma, Latino Outreach, Learning Centers, Success Coordinators, Project POWER/AmeriCorps, and advocacy. Children First’s mission is to empower children and their families to reach their full potential through advocacy, education and services. The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. To find out more go to www.childrenfirstcisbc.org.