When Naina Raju, a youth volunteer at Refugee Assistance Partners (RAP) of New Jersey, first found NYLC’s Youth as Solutions (YaS) program, the goal was simple: create a meaningful opportunity for youth volunteers to make a difference in their local community while addressing education equity. What began as a spark of interest quickly evolved into a powerful service-learning project—one that addressed the real needs of refugee families while helping a team of young leaders grow their skills and learn how to work together to take meaningful action.

“We knew we wanted to make a positive impact on the RAP youth community but didn’t really know how,” shared Naina Raju, the youth lead for the project. “It was the training and the tools that YaS provided that helped us successfully interview refugee families and collect surveys to identify the educational gap that existed in this community.”

From Listening to Leading

Through the investigation phase of service-learning, the team discovered that while refugee youth had access to academic support, they lacked opportunities for enrichment—experiences like art, music, sports, and cultural activities that help young people thrive socially and emotionally.

With this insight, the youth leaders took action. They partnered with local organizations, fundraised, and organized a series of virtual and in-person enrichment events for children of all ages, from a visiting author session for younger students to music and dance activities supported by nearby universities. The work culminated in surveys that revealed families wanted even more access to these experiences.

Now in their second year, the team has expanded both in numbers and vision. In collaboration with RAP’s advisory committee, they’ve shifted focus to not only continue enrichment programming but to deepen cross-cultural understanding and community building. From a trip to Ellis Island to a multicultural cook-along and a Spanish holiday concert, their activities are helping children from Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond connect with each other, and their new home.

Meeting Real Needs With Real Impact

The challenges refugee youth face—language barriers, feelings of isolation, and a lack of exposure to new experiences—are deeply personal. Anu, one of the team’s adult mentors, shared “One of the biggest moments for me was at the Ellis Island museum. A few students saw the stories of immigrants and said, ‘That’s kind of what we went through.’ It was the first time many of them felt they could open up about their own journeys.”

Naina shared a similar sentiment about the group’s trip. “One of the youth members asked to have her photo taken in front of the Statue of Liberty and said that it was a lifelong dream of hers to see this iconic statue.”

Feedback from families and RAP has been overwhelmingly positive. So much so, that RAP has now made the youth-led enrichment project a permanent part of their offerings. With guidance from their adult mentors, and support from the YaS program, the RAP team collected impact data after each event and used it to apply for other funding opportunities from larger organizations like Starbucks and Nissan.

The Power of a Process

Ruth and Anu, the adult mentors for RAP, credit the structured service-learning process with helping the youth create lasting change. “If it was just about wanting to help, it would have been hard to figure out what to focus on,” they explained. “Service-learning helped the young people identify the gap. It broke it down into manageable steps, and laid the foundation for real impact.”

Through the program, the youth leaders also learned how to manage budgets, track timelines, and connect with community partners like the Newark Museum, Newark Library, and Liberty Island. They’ve become better advocates, stronger communicators, and more confident in their ability to lead.

Why Youth as Solutions Matters

This project is a shining example of what Youth as Solutions believes at its core: that young people are fully capable of tackling the world’s most pressing issues. When given the right support and structure—like the quality-focused, community-driven service-learning framework they receive through YaS—young people don’t just make an impact. They do it thoughtfully, with fidelity, and in ways that avoid harm and build stronger, more connected communities.

Anu’s advice to other educators and adult mentors? “Nothing is too small to start with. You can make a difference. With the right training, commitment, and support, youth can create something powerful—and truly lasting.”