ABOUT SER

SER is a bilingual family-oriented group counseling program for middle and high school students and their families, led by On the Margins. The target population for this program is families from English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, individuals receiving services from Migrant Education Programs, English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) members, and other non-traditional high schools. This six-week training series aims to support identity development through understanding the impacts of trauma, help youth plan for healthy transitions and cultivate love, joy, hope and understanding across and among generations.

Throughout the training series participants engage in experiential exercises, small group reflections, didactic learning and role plays to increase their knowledge about collective and intergenerational healing strategies. They also engage with different professionals and have opportunities available to them in order to increase socio-economic mobility. This report summarizes the outcomes of the program that took place in Spring 2023.

  • The results from an analysis of surveys conducted in 2023 between the beginning (pre) and the end (post) of the program showed that on average, improvements were found in specific areas. The key takeaways are as follows:

    -Parents reported high levels of family communication & belonging throughout the program.

    -Youths reported increased levels of family communication & belonging after the program. For example, they felt a lot more comfortable expressing their emotions with their family members.

    -Both parents and youths reported better awareness of the impact of intergenerational traumatic experiences after the program.

    -Both parents and youths reported more confidence in planning and budgeting.

    -Youths reported more willingness to seek mental health support after the program, while parents’ willingness was very high throughout the program.

Program Overview: 

Throughout the six week series, SER will aim to:

  • Support identity development through the process of understanding the impacts of trauma such as intergenerational trauma, immigration trauma, racialized trauma, etc;

  • Plan for healthy transitions through the amplification of existing knowledge of different life skills and coping techniques to navigate systems; 

  • Cultivate love, joy, hope and understanding across and among generations.