The youth of Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) tell us how xenophobia and racism impacts them, and how they're standing up to end it.
When Loren Rubin talks about the Play for Peace Global Games, you can hear his enthusiasm loud and clear. As Program Director at HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles), Loren sees the Games as a great way for kids to see what clubs around the world are doing.
Annually serving over 2,000 participants in more than 40 schools, HOLA works with mostly immigrant youth who often face the challenges of discrimination and crime. Seeing others who overcome similar difficulties, from Chicago and Denver to South Sudan and India, has been truly inspiring. Play for Peace is at the core of HOLA Leadership programming. Younger kids have an immediately relatable role model who enacts leadership in a positive way so that they can envision themselves in leadership roles too. Important components of the program include conflict resolution, creative problem solving and appreciating cultural differences. Older students can begin to set their own expectations, often experiencing profound transformation. They move from disengagement to a fuller understanding that what they do makes a difference in their world.
Want to hear more from the kids at HOLA? Check out this fantastic video they created!
