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Colorado Immigrant Mental Health Advocacy Organization Awarded $2,000 to Share Community Stories
DENVER— Studies find that 34% of children in low-income households across the state of Colorado have at least one foreign-born parent. Ten percent of the population is foreign-born and more than half are noncitizens. Despite this fact, xenophobia and systemic oppression rooted in racism continues to deeply traumatize youth who are impacted by the immigration experience. Convivir Colorado is one group dedicated to supporting the positive mental health development of these youth in Colorado. Because of these efforts, Convivir received a $2,000 grant from the Colorado Equity Compass (CEC) intended to create stories detailing the unique experiences of the youth served. “We would be excited to create stories in many different formats. Already we were planning to create a video highlighting student leaders and how they have become engaged with Convivir,” Convivir Colorado representatives say. “It would also be easy to take some of the stories we normally work with students to create and then share them through blogs, video interviews, and photographs via our website and social media platforms.”
“The CEC is pleased to award Convivir Colorado $2,000 to support its video project and other community storytelling efforts,” said CEC Project Lead Dr. Rachele Espiritu. “The mental health of immigrants is rarely a topic covered by mainstream news outlets, and it is key among the social determinants of health (SDOH) to ensure long-term health and wellbeing.” These products can be found below:
A large fixture of the video content will be information about the social determinants of health (SDOH), which directly impact an individual’s health, wellbeing, and longevity. Involved directly in the story-creation process will be members of Convivir Colorado’s Youth Leadership Council who will gather stories through our existing programming, including the organization’s mentorship program, advocacy campaign, and school enrichment clubs. Outreach consultants, who are immigrant leaders in the community, will also coordinate story gathering amongst families.
About Convivir Colorado Convivir Colorado is a 6th- through 12th-grade leadership program for immigrant, refugee, and first-generation youth that helps them channel their leadership through the lens of their migrant journey, so they can strengthen their sense of self and continue practicing agency as they make a positive impact on their Colorado communities. This is done through programming, empowerment sessions, and professional development trainings.
About the Colorado Equity Compass Across Colorado, communities are facing inequities that impact their health and wellbeing. Different factors, including systemic racism, a lack of affordable housing, and environmental concerns, contribute to these inequities.
As a project of The Colorado Trust, CEC helps communities — and the organizations that serve them — better understand these issues and advocate for change using data and stories. This work consolidates diverse resources, connects peers, and both aligns and empowers communities and institutions via an Equity Data Navigator. The model showcases inequities and the social determinants of health (SDOH) across communities. CEC also serves as a hub for community storytelling and information-sharing.
For more information and to view the Equity Data Navigator, visit coequitycompass.org. For media inquiries, contact CEC at hello@coequitycompass.org.