Glenhaven Multicultural After School Tutorial
(G.M.A.T)
Our Mission:
To build bridges among the immigrant population in Greensboro by providing outreach and educational programming.
Background:
The Montagnard-Dega people are an ethnic group from the Central highlands of Vietnam. The Montagnards are indigenious tribes whose name was given by French colonists in the 19th century meaning "mountain people." They speak languages of the Mon Khmer or Malayo Palynesia linguistic stocks. They have a long history of struggling and persecutions. They have fought against the Vietnamese to retain their land and culture. During the Vietnam War the Montagnards joined American forces in the fight against communist Vietnam. For this reason, in 1986 many Montagnard-Degas were resettled in North Carolina. Today there are over 2,000 Dega people in Greensboro alone. In the late eighties Dega leaders formed the Montagnard Dega Association (MDA) to advocate for the rights fo the Montagnard and to help alleviate the extreme difficulties of resettlement. MDA was established in 1987 as a non-profit corporation. Soon thereafter, Guilford College students began an after-school tutoring program for the Dega children. Tutors help the children with homework and incourage positive role models. The tutors help the kids gain confidence in their English abilities.
What We Do:
Several volunteer opportunities exist at the MDA's Summit Avenue office. MDA volunteer Programs include the After-school Program, At-Home Tutoring Program, Adult Literacy and Citizenship, Grant Writing, Elderly Outreach, Women's Programs, and Youth Program. Located about twenty minutes away from Guilford on the other side of downtown, this office serves Greensboro's Montagnard Dega population. The indigenous people of Vietnam's mountains, the Montagnards began seeking refuge in the U.S. back in the 1980's and their population in Greensboro alone has grown to 1,200. Volunteers are needed desperately, both with clerical work and with tutoring the children after school. Tutors go to the site, which is currently located at Glen Haven Apartments, Monday through Thursdays.
Contacts for 2007-2008 School Year
Student Project Coordinator:
Marshall Jeffries mjeffrie@guilford.edu
Katie O'Boyle oboylekk@guilford.edu
Site Supervisor:
Center for New North Carolinians
200 S. Tremont Drive
Greensboro, N.C. 27403
Staff Liason:
Jada Drew
Tutor Training Coordinator
N.C. Campus Compact- AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A.
jdrew@guilford.edu
Related Sites:
Montagnards.org
Montagnard Degas