Across Newsletter February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022 ISSUE

Across U-hub TOGETHER WE CARRY ON

Contents Message from Executive Director - 01 Why do youths volunteer? - 02

Message from Executive Director Volunteers create Across U-hub This year, Across U-hub celebrates its 20th anniversary.

One of its greatest accomplishments is meeting with many volunteers who serve and never ask for anything in return. Without them, I don’t think Across U-hub would last 20 days, let alone 20 years.

Twenty-seven years ago, before the birth of Across U-hub, a group of friends gathered for a singular purpose: "to do something for young people with immigrant backgrounds." They noticed that young people are often associated with a bright future waiting for them to explore. However, if they are new to a country, there are many reasons holding them back.

This initial group of friends began volunteering their time and energy, spending countless nights to brainstorm, discuss, and create interesting and innovative projects to attract young people to volunteer their time to implement them. It laid a solid foundation for the birth to Across U-hub in 2002.

Nicole Wong

Message from Executive Director con't At Across U-hub, volunteers have mixed roles: a combination of giver and receiver. Through volunteering, young people discover fun and learn practical skills such as teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, execution and evaluation. Most importantly, they contribute to building a place of trust where they can share in depth, listen to, and be inspired by a wide variety of people from all walks of life. The purpose of volunteering at Across U-hub is to help each other grow. The most important focus of our efforts is spent on building empathy, openness, enthusiasm, compassion, kindness, and positivity.

Over the years, I have witnessed young volunteers connecting with each other, strengthening their ties to their local communities, and expanding their support networks. Many call Across U-hub their second home where they continue building their lifelong friendships, supporting each other towards a bright future together.

As we plan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Across Uhub, I choose to start by thanking the volunteers who have served at Across U-hub over the past 20 years.

Why do youths volunteer?

Introduction While there are good reasons why youth should volunteer, it is important to understand why youth would choose to volunteer.

Oftentimes, volunteers at Across U-hub begin as a participant at a leadership camp, an annual event or one of our smaller programs. Then, they would decide to get involved by joining a team or volunteering at a specific event. Over the years, a group of volunteers have stayed on and have contributed significantly to Across’ development, many becoming coaches to newer volunteers. What motivated these youths to spend their time, energy and resource this way?

In February of 2020, Across commissioned a research to investigate the motivation of its volunteers. The research has both qualitative and quantitative components, integrating personal accounts and empirical data to paint a fuller picture.

The report is in its final stages and ready for release this year. In anticipation, Across the Lens have asked some members of the research team on their work.

Samson Wong

Why do youths volunteer?

What does your role involve? And what are some discoveries?

Kitty Chan

Kitty conducts focus groups and listened to many interesting stories from volunteers from high school, university and those in their early career. One thing she discovered was that youth chose to stay with Across because of the friendship and support that developed over the years.

Jason Lun

Jason also conducts focus group with high school student, as well as inputting questionnaire data for computer analysis. As youth mentorship is a long term project, Jason often wondered what the youths gained from his coaching. He was delighted to finally hear in the focus group how youths feel they have been impacted.

Nancy Fok

Nancy provides administration support in coordinating focus groups, and the arduous task of processing collected data. She enjoyed reading the transcripts where people shared how their relationship with Across developed.

con't

Why do youths volunteer? con't Joyce Mak

Joyce is involved throughout the research from drafting survey items, conducting focus group, analyzing data, researching literature, to writing the report. One thing that stood out for Joyce, was working together as a research team. The opportunity to contribute her research and intellectual skills was a new experience for her at Across.

Amy Lam

Amy’s role in the research study includes taking notes and transcribing the focus group, interviewing staff member, data analysis, and report writing. Among the different tasks, she has found listening and observing the focus group participants to be particularly meaningful.

She was able to witness Across’ impact on youth and how these experiences continue to create a positive ripple effect in the community today.

Who should read the report?

In general, team members recommend the report to anyone working with youth and volunteer. To take a step further, the finding on volunteer-organization relationship is informative to funders and policymakers in their decision making. Finally, in a less specialized format, youths and parents may also find the report inspiring.

The spirit of academic research is to dive in to the data, then step back to look from an analytical perspective. The research is not only about Across U-hub and its volunteers, it is also a case study of an immigrant-serving youth organization, and there are lessons for all to learn.

If the work of Across U-hub has touched you in any way, please consider supporting us through donations. Your financial support will allow us to do more in supporting our youths.