1. Detailed Project Description(s):

Texas Youth of Marshall Islands Inc.(TYOMII) is a community-based 501c3 organization in

Cleburne Texas, dedicated to the educational, cultural, and health advancement of the

Marshallese people. It was founded in May 2023 (and formally incorporated in May 2024) to

help address the specific needs of first- and second-generation Marshallese immigrants,

preserve cultural identity, and cultivate a new generation of Marshallese community leaders,

dedicated to supporting and empowering Pacific Islander youth through self-advocacy,

leadership development, and life skills training.

TYOMII is seeking funding to sustain and expand our services for capacity building, youth

programs, and direct services. We have an important opportunity to enhance our community

outreach and provide essential resources to the Pacific Islander youth and the broader

community. Our goal is to secure a building that will serve as a capacity hub, offering a space for

recreational, cultural, and educational gatherings. This building will not only be a home for our

youth programs but will also be a versatile venue for the entire community to connect, learn,

and celebrate.

We will achieve this goal using a comprehensive approach focused on increasing our staff’s

professional capacity, setting up a coordinated provision of services and a rapid response

system, and increasing access to youth development programs for Marshallese youth in Texas

and nationally.

Capacity Building:

Our Capacity Building project aims to propel our organization towards the "new normal" by

focusing on key areas such as building community ambassadors, expanding afterschool

programs, fostering peer-to-peer support networks, enhancing prevention efforts, promoting

mental health awareness, and empowering individuals through the provision of safe spaces for

growth and development. We are dedicated to supporting higher education opportunities,

ensuring retention, and nurturing individuals to become valuable contributors to society.

As we transition into a new phase of our organization, we are committed to succession

planning, promoting civic engagement, and exploring the realms of language and visual arts to

enrich our community. Through certifications in public accounting, community health work,

youth counseling, trauma counseling, and other specialized fields, we aim to equip our team

with the necessary skills and expertise to better serve our community.

Our project will focus on putting the gained training and certifications to practical use, forging

strong community partnerships, building a robust networking portfolio, and extending our reach

to maximize our impact. We are dedicated to creating a sustainable and impactful future for our

organization and the communities we serve.

Youth Programs:

TYOMII was established in response to the alarming decrease in the education retention rates

between 1990 – 2000 and initially focused on services in multi-family / multi-generational

dwellings where youth were most likely to go to work instead of pursuing higher education and

ultimately end up in poverty. Since 2023, TYOMII has helped Marshallese members with basic

living costs, allowing younger Marshallese to focus on education. Nonetheless, higher education

continues to be a barrier between family obligations and an individual's financial stability and

future earning potential. TYOMII believes that it can further address these obstacles using a

two-fold approach.

First, this funding would also be used to address the immediate needs of Marshallese families

while at the same time hopefully lessening the burden of young people to serve as the primary

intermediary between systems and their limited English-proficient parents and elders. We will

create a specific hotline for youth to call for resources, questions, and referrals. In so doing,

TYOMII can provide their families with translation, interpretation, and in-person walk-throughs

of form applications, appointments, and systems navigation. This includes help with bill pay

queries, doctor’s appointments, employment, childcare, child welfare, supplemental food

assistance, housing, and domestic violence. We also plan to connect Marshallese youth to Know

Your Rights training who serve as interpreters and translators for their families.