Dear Friends,
The past year – which, for the BACI, marks 10 years of advocacy, education, and service – faced a mix of the unprecedented challenges and opportunities. While our community locally and globally were still in the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis in Myanmar (Burma) and Afghanistan brought another level of challenges. BACI responded to both crises with the conviction of the need and the recognition of our responsibility while strongly sustaining a COVID-19 response initiative, especially through the Vaccine Campaign. Despite such challenges, we were able to actively engage in international advocacy in support of democracy in Myanmar and participate in assisting Burmese humanitarian parolees, as well as joining our partners to resettle Afghan evacuees while sustaining and expanding the existing programs and vital services to the community.
As such, the past year has been one of growth and strengthening—of our programs and service provisions with significantly intensified engagement with our shared communities locally and globally. Highlighted in the following are some of the outcomes and impacts we continue bringing upon our shared community.
In 2021 alone, we assisted 3447 (that is 139% of last year's number at 2473) individuals with Citizenship and English language training, naturalization applications, and other immigration requirements, as well as provided support in gaining employment and training, scholarships, and college & university admissions. This made a total of over 16,000 individuals served since 2011. Similarly, we provided technical assistance to a number of start-up organizations including those that are faith-based, which is an important part of the overall successful integration of the community.
Despite disruption by COVID-19, the Upward College Program for high school students continued to maintain 100% admissions in postsecondary institutions for the students who completed the BACI program. Furthermore, we helped over 50% of current college students who were previously enrolled in the UCP receive scholarships. The past year also saw the college going rate among the Burmese recent high school graduates increase to 95% from 43% in 2014.
The Center for Research, Policy and Innovation (CRPI), designed to promote collaborative research and policy solution oriented action projects with local researchers, Burmese scholars, international colleagues, and stakeholders was expanded internationally. Collaboratively working with our partners, a series of virtual events as part of the Myanmar Initiatives that support investing in people and education, development and democracy were hosted and thousands of people have been engaged. Major initiatives through the National University of the Union of Myanmar - Global Campus (NUUM) as part of an effort to support education and democracy in the Southeast Asian nation was launched.
We are pleased with the progress we continue to make. Looking forward—through effective implementation of the new strategic priorities layout in our strategy 2021-2026, we will be enhancing our existing programs and services, with new opportunities, innovations and continued expansions through unique initiatives and collaborative partnerships here in Indianapolis, while we will be engaging and working closely with comprehensive stakeholders and partners in support of democracy, freedom and prosperity in Myanmar in a win-win through creative and multi-faceted approaches.
Thank you for your continued support and important partnerships. With renewed commitment, we hope you will continue to stand with us as we put all our effort into helping the community members in becoming economically self-sufficient, integrated, and productive citizens of our global society.
A very Happy New Year 2022!
The Burmese American Community Institute
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January 1, 2022 | BACI Newsletter |
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Burmese American Community Institute’s COVID-19 Response |
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Recognizing the scale of challenges and the pain the pandemic brought to the community, the BACI’s immediate and thoughtful COVID-19 Response included, but was not limited to, undertaking and sustaining the following initiatives and actions: |
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- Helped ensure BACI and the community as a whole is in compliance with the federal, state, and local guidelines, Executive Orders, and recommendations with respect to safety measures.
- Maintained the BACI’s core services while transitioning them to virtual or remote service delivery.
- Expanded basic and critical services to help address the immediate and urgent need of families in the community who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. E.g. the CARES act, UI, Employment, etc.
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Launched New Initiative: BACI’s Covid-19 K-12+ Remote Learning and Online Resources (website and Facebook in 2020)
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- BACI continues to collaborate with the City of Indianapolis and other organizations in assisting individuals and families who have been impacted by COVID-19.
- BACI also was continuing to host a series of virtual talks and meetings and produced a number of video clips, designed to promote COVID-19 awareness, prevention, and safety as part of its educational community outreach.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign: BACI collaboratively works with the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH), Marion County Department of Health, Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC), etc. As well, BACI advocated for the delivery of linguistically and culturally appropriate COVID-19 related services, materials, referrals, etc. for the community; our partnership with the IMHC was sustained and strengthened which we originally initiated in 2020. (ref: BACI entered into a partnership with IMHC on a COVID-19 Vaccine Project – Lian Sang, MPH, was appointed as the project director.)
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Congratulations to Dim Man on being awarded a Master of Science in Education Degree (M.S.Ed.) from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Dim worked as full-time Coordinator of the BACI Upward College Program where she started as a high school student participant. Dim’s passion for education and serving students and our community has been evidently demonstrated from her 9 years of service, but also in her academic success. By earning a graduate degree in Counseling and Counselor Education (School Counseling), she further strengthens our program, our community and while her dream to serve more students is coming true as she often shares with colleagues at the BACI. We are so proud of her for her outstanding academic accomplishments and wish her the best of luck with her future academic and professional career.
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Sarah BTC Mang earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Chamberlain University in the summer of 2021.
Currently working as an instructor of English and Citizenship Classes in the BACI's Civic and Cultural Education Program (CCEP) Program that empowers new Americans with security in their rights and liberties by providing English and Citizenship instruction, including rights and responsibilities education, Sarah has been one of the most favorite teachers of all time by adult learners —fathers and mothers in our community.
Sarah is an alumni of the BACI Upward College Program where she excelled as one of the best and most hardworking students. We are so proud of Sarah for her outstanding academic accomplishments and we wish her the best for her future academic and career success as she intends to pursue a Ph.D degree program. Congratulations Sarah!
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Of the 225 students enrolled in the BACI Upward College Program for the 2020-2021 academic year, over 30 seniors graduated from their high school in the summer of 2021. We continue to be pleased with the overall accomplishments of the program as many were admitted to prestigious colleges with full ride scholarships and full-tuition scholarships. A total of 626 high school students were served during 2021 with 256 of them in the fall semester. |
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Upward College Program Continues to Grow with Innovations |
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The Upward College Program is a comprehensive year-long program that assists students with their college academic readiness and success. The program is unique and rigorous with several components: tutoring, STEM and life-skills training, leadership and public speaking, a Summer Scholars research program, and college preparatory classes – including standardized test prep, individualized college and scholarship application assistance, and extracurricular opportunities, including engagement with volunteer and community service. |
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Photo (above): UCP welcomes rep from Purdue University at SHS in fall 2021. We were able to continue on-site classroom and program operation throughout last year while following the safety protocols against COVID-19. With a reduced budget for fall 2021, we are grateful to have been able to sustain the recently expanded classes at Perry Meridian High School through a collaborative partnership. We are delighted that a new grant will help us sustain our two sites and strengthen our program operation with increased capacity and longer-term sustainability efforts. |
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The Upward College Program participants enjoyed a walk at the campus during the fall break 2021 exploring the many academic programs and opportunities offered by Purdue University in Lafayette.
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Our UCP participating students collaboratively work with students enrolled with the Global Intelligence Class in the Hutton Honors College at Indiana University Bloomington.
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Some of the UCP participating students had the opportunity to spend time together through a gift exchange during the Christmas and Holiday season of 2021. |
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10th Annual College and Youth Summit |
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The 10th Annual College and Youth Summit was organized in a hybrid format on June 24, 2021 with the motto of Creating & Fostering a College Going Culture Since 2010 where representatives from our partner Universities presented information about the schools, departments and scholarships, as well as other special opportunities they have to offer.
Our panelists representing diverse backgrounds academically and geographically discussed and shared their college experience and provided success tips for the youth who are in the process of going to college. We thank again everyone for their participation and contributions to this year’s panel.
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Summer Scholars Program – PAR Policy & Action Solution Oriented Research |
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Congratulations to Young Scholars! |
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35 youths successfully completed the Upward College Summer Scholars Program 2021, supported by 10 college and graduate students and 4 faculty members from our partner Universities. |
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A big thanks to Senator Todd Young and Congressman Andre Carson who sent video message in support of the young leaders and the Burmese community.
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Over 200 community members and stakeholders including dignitaries and guests of honor, including Indiana State Senator Jack Sandlin (2nd from L-R in the above photo), Indiana State Refugee Coordinator Matthew Schomburg (1st L-R), Executive Director Elaisa Vahnie (3rd L-R), Administrators from Perry Township Schools Whitney Wilkowski and Lisa Netsch (4th and 5th L-R), BACI Board Chair Dr. Ro Ding (6th L-R) and others were able to join in person while community partners and leaders from local, national and international also joined the event remotely.
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Career Pathways & Professional Development |
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Due partly in response to COVID-19 and its impact, and in partnership and support of the United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI), we have expanded our services to the areas of basic need assistance which allow us to serve families with their housing needs, healthy food and nutrition, and physical, mental & behavioral health services. In photo (R): Our volunteers, staff, and our partner the UWCI are assisting members and families of the community with their energy assistance applications. We are particularly pleased that BACI became accredited partner of the UWCI in 2021 as such coming together will undoubtedly bring a greater impact on our shared community.
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Employment and Microenterprise Development |
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The EMEDP, which assists newcomers in becoming economically self-sufficient and allows them to give back to their communities and contribute to economic growth, has been growing and was streamlined beginning in 2018. Accordingly, many of the services provided through BACI's EMEDP have been channeled through the Center for Integration and Community Development (CICD) as part of our effort not only to be more effective and inclusive, but also to be more strategic in our approaches. Photo: A community job fair was hosted for Performance Health at the BACI. |
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English, Citizenship and Integration |
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Congratulations to the ECI Graduates and New Citizens! |
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Congratulations to our community members who have just graduated from their English and Citizenship Class in 2021! ECI teaches English simultaneously with civics covering topics including the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Government, and U.S. History in order to prepare students to ensure they are ready to become the U.S. Citizens – holders of U.S. Citizenship. Photo (below): September 2021 ECI graduates as they become a step closer to becoming US citizens so that they can fully exercise their rights and responsibilities in freedom!
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December 2021 ECI graduates who successfully completed 40+ hours of English and Civic education. |
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Another group of ECI graduates in December 2021. Over 200 members of the community graduated from this class last year.
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Celebrate Diversity, Participate and Engage with the Community |
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Celebrate Diversity, Participate and Engage with the Community |
With the need to contribute to our shared community and city so that it may continue to be a welcoming and inclusive place that appreciates and celebrates diversity has been advocated, BACI fully recognizes the importance of newcomers becoming integrated citizens of a cohesive society. As such, we see the events like the Sister Cities or International Festival as an opportunity for us to engage, learn from one another, and promote a greater understanding among different groups. In photo (above): Myanmar Fashion on Parks Stage on June 25: we are delighted to help open The Opening Night of the 2021 Marion County Fair with a colorful and beautiful display for the Myanmar Cultural Fashion.
The Annual Event, Marion County Fair, highlighted the DinoROAR Show at the Rodney Atkins Concert, with Medical Heroes Day. The fashion of the participating students at the College Prep and Leadership Development Program presenting the various Ethnic Cultural Fashion of Myanmar was featured at the event.
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We were pleased to participate in the Grand Opening Ceremony of the West Perry Branch of the Indianapolis Public Libraries on July 17, 2021. Our youths were delighted to have the opportunity to showcase ethnic diversity, culture and unity through their colorful dance while the CLDP mentors Aye Chaw and Naw Htoo presented a Burmese song titled “HOPE” dedicated to the people of Myanmar.
In his note of thankful remarks, BACI Executive Director Elaisa Vahnie thanked the leadership of the Library, the city of Indianapolis, the county, and the citizens of Perry Township that we are always grateful to, for giving us the opportunity to start our new lives here with you, in a city where more than 24,000 Burmese are now calling their new home. As they have been forced to flee their home, Indianapolis now offers a safe haven so that they can enjoy their freedoms and rebuild their families and community. “These huge library resources and facilities will greatly contribute to our effort in assisting the Burmese and newcomers in becoming integrated into their new community and in becoming productive citizens of the society,” said Vahnie.
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Center for Research, Policy and Innovation (CRPI) |
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Researchers and scholars at the BACI successfully designed and executed 10 topics of research, policy solutions and service oriented projects through the Center for Research, Policy and Innovation (CRPI) in collaboration with higher education institutions in 2021. The topics are primarily aimed at informing the stakeholders substantively in support of democracy in Myanmar and helping address some of the most pressing issues. While the findings and recommendations of the study have been widely shared with the stakeholders, the executive summary will be published soon.
This year’s research topics and projects include the following:
- Designing a Federal Democratic Union of Myanmar
- Exploring the Role of the Internet in Higher Education in Myanmar with a focus on Rakhine State and Paletwa Township, Chin State
- Freedom of Speech under the State of Emergency in Myanmar- 2021
- Human Rights in Myanmar under the Coup and the Response of International Key Actors
- Immigration and International Policy Response in terms of Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance after the 2021 Coup
- Rapid Assessment of IDPs in Karenni State
- Religion, Ethnicity, and Conflict Resolution in Myanmar
- The Role of Myanmar Diasporas in the United States in Homeland Development: Comparative Analysis with the Vietnamese Diasporas
- Sustainable Livelihood and Natural Resources Extraction in Kachin State
- TeleHealth – Access to Healthcare in Myanmar
The CRPI is designed to promote collaborative research, policy solution and action projects with local researchers, Burmese scholars, international colleagues, and stakeholders engaged in work related to the Burmese American community, Asian Americans, Myanmar, Southeast Asia, and the diaspora communities. The goal of the CRPI is to further innovative research activities, policy, and development-oriented projects that align with BACI’s vision and mission for advocacy, education, and service.
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The National University of the Union of Myanmar (NUUM) - Global Campus |
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The National University of the Union of Myanmar (NUUM) was established in July 2021 under the auspices of the Burmese American Community Institute in consultation with its partners and stakeholders, especially with diverse groups of people in Myanmar. It currently offers six certificate programs to Myanmar students through online courses taught by instructors from Myanmar as well as friends of Myanmar from around the globe. In addition to providing teaching and learning opportunities, NUUM contributes to reform efforts and building systems for future democratic institutions, serves as a hub for academic research, scholarship, and intellectual inquiry, and generates ideas for innovations and policy debate, in support of democracy in Myanmar. |
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As part of the NUUM, two key programs have been implemented:
We aim at strengthening existing programs and expanding academic, training, research and democracy projects in 2022.
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Myanmar Scholars and Leaders Program |
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Myanmar Union Day 2021 and Myanmar Coup |
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On Feb. 12, 2021, we hosted the 74th Anniversary of the Union Day of Myanmar the event that commemorates the signing of the Panglong Agreement in 1947 in Myanmar (also known as Burma) that facilitated the formation of the Union of Myanmar. Our distinguished speakers Senator Young, Congressman Andre Carson, and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett all delivered remarks focusing on the events unfolding in the Southeast Asian nation, in particular the military coup in Myanmar. |
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U.S. Congressman
Andre Carson
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Indianapolis Mayor
Joe Hogsett
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"The military has continued their corrupt actions that undermine political reforms, inflict pain on the Rohingya and other minorities, and remain a significant obstacle to democracy. The military must respect the democratic process and it must respect the Burmese people’s aspirations to rule themselves, rather than be ruled by force.
I stand ready to work with the Biden administration to stop those who seek to undermine the cause of peace and democracy and I remain committed to helping the Burmese people achieve the goals of the Panglong agreement." - Senator Young
On February 5, 2021, Senator Young led the introduction of the Senate Bill on Burma which calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense to immediately take all steps necessary to end the military coup in Myanmar. With his leadership, SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY IN BURMA as part of the NDAA - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 just passed the U.S. Congress on December 15, 2021.
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Welcoming remarks by BACI Board Chair Dr. Ro Ding is available in video via this LINK. |
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Text of Myanmar Union Day remarks of BACI Executive Director Elaisa Vahnie is available at this LINK. |
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Advocacy, Engagement Safeguarding and Promoting Democracy and Freedom
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Through continuous and consistent engagement with the international actors, meeting with the various U.S. government agencies and Congressional Offices, BACI continues advocating for the Burmese-American community integration and success, strong and comprehensive support of the U.S. for restoration of the democratic process and freedom in Myanmar, sustainable peace and prosperity in the Southeast Asia nation in line with the United States Government’s policy, principled leadership, and mutual interests.
With cleared conviction and renewed commitment, BACI will continue to engage with stakeholders through our advocacy efforts locally, nationally, and internationally on the issues that concern our shared community in line with the BACI mission and vision, maximizing our unique position, including supporting democracy in Myanmar.
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BACI Advocacy and Service Outcome |
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3447
total individuals
directly assisted
in 2021
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626
students served through the
Upward College Program, regular and summer in 2021
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1380
newcomers served in English, immigration, and naturalization
needs in the past year
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517+
individuals served through COVID-19 relief, basic need assistance & development (EMED) during 2021
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5,000+
volunteer hours completed through BACI in the past 12 months
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16,000+
individuals and families served
since 2011
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95%
College going rate
averaged for 2021
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96%
College persistence rate among Burmese-Americans
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Burmese HS and College Graduates in USA 2021 |
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2,000
HS Graduates in 2021
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600
College Graduates in 2021
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Our service outcomes and the positive impact that we are seeing in our shared community would not have been possible without your support and collaboration. With a dedicated board, proven leadership and committed and passionate staff, we hope to further strengthen and expand the community integration service provision while new initiatives and innovative partnerships will be developed and implemented in 2021.
Thank you for your continued support.
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Spring Flower
International Conference on Myanmar
Feb 5-12, 2022
in conjunction with
Myanmar Union Day 2022
Saturday, Feb 12, 2022 07:00 PM EST
Contact: info@baci-indy.org
Tel: 317-731-5537
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Designed to support democracy and freedom in Myanmar, the program will include:
· Keynote speeches
· Expert panels
· Panel presentations of academic papers and Roundtable Discussions
· Musical and Cultural Performances
Conference website, co-hosts, registration, etc. to be announced later. Updates will be posted on the BACI website. For general questions, contact: info@baci-indy.org.
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About Burmese American Community Institute
The Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 that provides educational and vocational support to the Burmese community in greater Indianapolis. The BACI also supports community members regionally, nationally, and globally through new initiatives, collaborative and strategic partnerships, and advocacy.
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BACI | 317.731.5537 | info@baci-indy.org | www.thebaci.org |
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