Creating Connection Through Nature and Creativity
The Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH), a program of the Public Health Institute, is proud to highlight the efforts of our dedicated grantees in providing culturally responsive and accessible services to Ukrainian refugees across California through the Ukrainian Refugee School Impact (URSI) program. This initiative is made possible with support from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the Office of Immigrant Youth (OIY).
The Slavic Refugee and Immigrant Services (SRISO) supports community-led programs that help immigrant and refugee children and families heal, connect, and rebuild a sense of belonging. Their two initiatives, Parks and Friends and Art Healing for Youth, demonstrate how low-pressure, culturally responsive activities can foster emotional well-being, strengthen family bonds, and build a lasting community.
Parks and Friends: From Simple Walks to a Thriving Community
What began as informal outdoor gatherings for children grew into a sustainable, monthly, family program supporting the mental health and social adaptation of newcomer families.
Through guided walks, movement-based games, environmental learning, and shared leisure time in local parks, children and teens developed friendships, confidence, and familiarity with their new surroundings. Parents’ participation became a key element—strengthening family relationships, trust, and a shared sense of safety.
Over time, Parks and Friends evolved beyond recreation. Youth gained a deeper connection to nature and participated in environmental conservation activities such as coastal cleanups, habitat restoration, and ecological learning. For teens, new formats, such as beach volleyball, surf classes, and university orientation walks, supported leadership, teamwork, and future-focused motivation.
Today, Parks and Friends is more than a program. It is a welcoming community space where families reunite, celebrate milestones, support one another, and welcome newly arrived families. The program demonstrates how simple outdoor experiences can grow into lasting systems of care and belonging.
Art Healing for Youth: Creativity as a Pathway to Resilience
The Art Healing for Youth program offers age-responsive, trauma-informed creative spaces where children and adolescents can safely express emotions, rebuild confidence, and strengthen social connections.
Young children (ages 4–6) explored emotions through drawing, storytelling, movement, and play that support emotional safety and early social development.
Children (ages 7–12) combined art-therapy techniques with foundational artistic skills, improving focus, emotional regulation, and group cooperation.
Adolescents (ages 13–18) used sketching, illustration, and visual storytelling, including digital tools, to express complex emotions without pressure to verbalize their experiences.
Across all age groups, participants showed increased self-confidence, self-awareness, and emotional resilience. For some youth, the program opened doors to mentorship opportunities in creative fields and reinforced creativity as both a healing practice and a pathway for future growth.
Lasting Impact
SRISO’s programs demonstrate the power of community-designed, relationship-centered approaches. By centering joy, creativity, movement, and connection, both Parks and Friends and Art Healing for Youth help newcomer children and families move beyond survival toward healing and belonging.
Learn more about SRISO’s work here.
Centering Culture to Build Connection
At CIRH, we are proud to partner with the Slavic Refugee and Immigrant Services in providing services that meet Ukrainian Refugee clients where they are, with empathy, respect, and understanding.
Through the Refugee School Impact (RSI) Program, our partners provide holistic, linguistically appropriate care that supports the well-being of refugee communities.
