230. The Path to Hope with Christian Martinez

Christian Martinez knows firsthand what it’s like to be a young immigrant in America: The language barrier, financial stress, feeling alone and hopeless. That’s why he does what he does today. Christian is the founder and community innovator for The Camino Program and he’s our guest on the show today.Christian tells us  about the Camino program, not just what it does, but how it makes its participants feel. The program offers support in professional development, mental health, peer support, and career navigation for teens transitioning into adulthood. While it’s only four months long, it’s just the jumpstart of creating a lifelong network.The most important impact of the program is one that’s hard to measure, but is foundational to success: Hope. The Camino is literally “a path forward” for youth who have finally found a place where they can connect.To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.orgWe unbox:How immigrant youth experience disconnectionThe critical importance of hopeMeeting youth where they are at– especially when they’re not at schoolResources:Learn more at CaminoProgram.orgFollow the Camino Program on Instagram: @CaminoProgramProduced by NOVA Media