|
Tucked away in her corner office on the fifth floor of the O'Leary Building, Dr. Linda Silka brainstorms to find ways to build bridges between local immigrants and the community. This she does with other faculty members and the graduate students enrolled in the Regional and Social Economic Development (RESD) Graduate Program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Silka is also the director of the Center for Family Work and Community at the University and Co director of the University's Community Outreach Partnership Center.
RESD is involved in many programs throughout the Lowell area however one program Silka feels is extremely important is it's involvement in educating small local business owners. "People come here who have been leaders in their own country and we need to find ways to draw on those skills". According to Silka there are three hundred or so small businesses started by immigrants in the Lowell area. One of the goals of RESD is to educate these business owners on environmental regulations, labor laws and loan programs. An example of this type of educating is the program that helped Cambodian woman start their own Day Care Centers. The focus group helped these women with issues concerning environmental laws in Day Care Centers that they were not aware of. Another successful program as a result of RESD is the South East Asian Water Festival. This was used not only to address environmental issues but also bring together the Cambodian and Laotian Communities. RESD along with healthcare providers and these community members simulated the water festivals that take place along the Mekong River throughout South East Asia. They did this along the Merrimack River in Lowell. An event where 50,000 people come to celebrate the river and discuss ways to keep it clean form pollution and the affects of mercury on fish. "We try to identify things that draw on the strengths of people who are new to the country while building on the strengths of the people who are here, and bring the two together. Silka admits that the biggest piece of the bridge building puzzle is forming partnerships with other member of the community. "It is important for us to bring together different disciplines. One of the greatest accomplishments of the group is that we work to bridge gaps". She is excited about the future of the program and is confident that with the necessary resources the gaps can be closed. |