Lynn youth program focused on children of Cambodian immigrants is honored

LYNN – A recognition ceremony held Thursday night for KAYA, a Lynn youth program centered around children of Cambodian immigrants, provided a chance for the youth, their parents and organizers to celebrate how far the program has come in 31/2 years.When KAYA started up at the Lynn YMCA, it had only one youth, said KAYA coordinator Harry Schnur. Now, more than 70 youth are part of the program and at least 30 participate regularly in activities around Lynn, he said. The program has also shortened its name to just KAYA (which used to be an acronym) to encompass a growing number of attendees who aren’t Khmer, which means of Cambodian heritage.Members of KAYA are active in numerous Lynn activities, from volunteering at a citywide teen health conference to helping paint a faded basketball court.Schnur said the youth received some well-deserved recognition Thursday.”We ask a lot of them,” he said. “They could be doing other stuff.”He said it’s important to honor teens like those in KAYA who make the decision to give back to their community.”We want to recognize that they’re sort of taking the path less traveled,” he said.Among those recognized was 16-year-old Branden Seng, who received a white carnation and a certificate of appreciation for volunteering to be interviewed in a video that will air as part of an exhibit about the Cambodian genocide coming to the Lynn Museum.Seng joined KAYA last year because, he said, he wanted to share his culture with the rest of the city.”I just want to make sure everyone knows our side of the story,” he said. He said he stayed with the program because of the friends he’s made.”We can just get together and have fun,” he said.That’s why On Sen, whose two children, 15-year-old Malina Sang and 13-year-old Bryan Sang, are in KAYA, likes the program.She said her children spend their free time participating in healthy activities at KAYA because they’ve developed close friendships through the program.”I think it’s a good thing to do, they’re not hanging out on the street,” she said.Sen said she’s seen her children’s confidence in themselves and their Cambodian heritage grow with every year in KAYA.”I’ve seen them change a lot. They have good friends, they make good decisions,” she said.Sen gave Schnur credit for keeping the program dynamic.Audrey Jimenez, the branch director of Lynn’s YMCA, where KAYA holds many of its meetings, agreed that Schnur has a positive effect on an already positive group.”He’s really done a good job organizing all of the city’s nonprofits,” she said.Recent Cambodian immigrant Lida Kan, 28, has served as a mentor at KAYA for the past three years after meeting Schnur two years after he moved to the US. Kan said he feels such a draw to KAYA that while he lived in Peabody, he rode his bike to Lynn twice a week to meet with the group.”I don’t know how to explain it, I just love KAYA,” he said. “They’re good kids, and I learn a lot from them.”Schnur said KAYA wouldn’t be what it is without three of its main funders: Partners Health Care, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the U.S. office of Refugee Resettlement.As the school year comes to a close, KAYA will continue to be active with a summer session, held 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at a location to be determined. Fridays from noon-2 p.m. the program will also hold an eight-week cooking course, and Fridays from 3-5 p.m. students are welcome to attend a breakdance practice at the Lynn YMCA, 20 Neptune Blvd.All KAYA programs are free and open to youth ages 13-18. For more information, contact 781-369-5292 or visit kayainlynn.tumblr.com. Students can also sign up at the Lynn YMCA.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].