We are so grateful for the opportunities 
you make possible!

Dear Friends of PAIR,
 
We hope you had a joyful Thanksgiving!

One of the special pleasures of welcoming newcomers to our Westbury Thanksgiving community is introducing them to some of the most loved traditions of American life. At the top of that list is Thanksgiving. Each year, students eat traditional Thanksgiving foods, talk about football (!), and share what they are grateful for.
 
In this spirit, all of us at PAIR send our grateful thanks to you - those who welcome, stand up for, and support young refugees in Houston! 

Below we share some of the inspiring and enriching experiences you've made possible this semester for PAIR's high school students.


The Refugees
Sharing refugees' stories with Viet Thanh Nguyen

Students from all of PAIR's high school programs had the honor of hearing Viet Thanh Nguyen talk about his writing and his experience as a refugee, as part of Inprint Houston's Reading Series. Nguyen came to the United States from Vietnam in 1975. His recent story collection,  The Refugees , chronicles the lives of people displaced between their lost homelands and their adopted country. 

Thank you to Inprint and PAIR board member Mark Brasher for making this evening possible.



Visiting ANUME Farm in La Grange

PAIR students and Pangea friends PAIR students who took part in the Young Women's Leadership Conference run by the Pangea Network this summer (see the August 3  issue of PAIR News ) visited an organic farm. 
 
At ANUME Farm they met other Pangea alumni, learned about the connection between healthy soil and healthy bodies, and prepared beds and planted seeds that will grow into vegetables the farm donates to local food pantries. 
 
These young women continue to grow into a "network of global leaders" thanks to amazing opportunities like this. Thank you so much to the Pangea Network and ANUME Farm for making it possible.



PAIR students practice basic medical tests
Learning with Baylor College of Medicine students

Students in PAIR's after-school programs at Westbury and Wisdom High Schools joined the BCM student group CHEF (Choosing Healthy, Eating Fresh) to cook healthy foods and learn about healthy eating. This is the fourth year PAIR has participated in this important program.
 
Students in PAIR's program at Westbury High School took part in the BCM Student Healthcare Symposium. Participants learned about the variety of professions open to those interested in medical fields. They toured the Texas Medical Center and attended workshops on basic medical skills like taking vital signs and performing CPR (see photo).
 
A big thank you to CHEF and to the Baylor College of Medicine Global Health Interest Group for hosting. And special thanks to medical students Azeen Anjum (CHEF) and Grace Gannon and Elizabeth Adams (GHIG) for organizing the events.



 Telling their stories

 
Media Workshop In October, students joined a media workshop designed to give refugees and immigrants practical skills for using media to advocate for their communities. Students practiced telling their stories, answering questions with media savvy, and communicating the messages that are important to them. Wardah Khalid (pictured), media associate for Church World Services, led the training, which was organized by Refugee Council USA.
 
Thank you to Gislaine Williams of RCUSA for including PAIR's students in this important program.


This week, PAIR students from Wisdom High School will join the after-school program at Westbury for a pot-luck dinner (another great food-sharing tradition!) to celebrate the end of a busy semester.

Thanks to you, PAIR's high school students have taken part in many new activities that connect them to our city and encourage them to prepare for a bright future.

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