In Bridges, Refugee Youth Share Their Personal Stories

A new publication developed within IINE’s Refugee Youth Program brings young voices to the center stage. Bridges: Personal Narratives by Immigrant Youth features eight stories written by clients in the Lowell program, with the support of community volunteers. The young authors reflect on important moments in their lives, their challenges and dreams, and the gratitude they feel to be Americans.  

Building Bridges

The Bridges project was spearheaded by Lena Aloise, a sophomore at Groton High School, who had volunteered as an English tutor in the Refugee Youth Program. As explained in the book’s preface, she felt “the writing process fit the IINE Youth program’s focus on English Language Learning and affirmation of diverse experiences and wanted to help share the voices of young immigrants with their communities.” 
 
Lena secured grant funding for the project from her school and reached out to IINE Youth Program Manager Isabel Goes to collaborate. Together, they recruited students and volunteers and drafted a lesson plan for a six-session creative writing workshop, which launched in August of 2025.  

Each student received a personalized binder containing vocabulary resources, materials on story structure, and activity handouts. In early workshop sessions, they studied the art of personal narratives through stories and poems, and brainstormed people, places, and events of importance to them that might inspire their own writing. They learned how to craft interesting hooks, expand their stories’ settings, and develop strong openings, conflicts, and endings. 

The participants received feedback from the IINE Youth Program team, as well as students at Groton.  Once they finalized their pieces, the participants celebrated with their peers over pizza and soft drinks, and their manuscript was sent to IINE’s Marketing team to be designed and published.  

Reflections

“They were so excited and proud to get the actual books in their hands!” says Isabel. “I’m proud of them for their achievement and also love that they had the chance to express themselves. Some have already said they have more stories to tell! We’ll be launching another series of workshops for them this summer.” 

Lena is equally pleased with how the project turned out, “I was surprised by and incredibly grateful for the eagerness that many of the writers brought to each session of the workshop, especially after learning that many were joining after a full day of work at summer jobs!” she says. 

Key to success, Lena says, was the strength of the collaboration, “I was so happy to see the commitment of the volunteers and the team at IINE—they really worked hard to help make the workshop the best it could be. The volunteers were excited to contribute ideas and perspective while being respectful of the writers’ visions and our plan, and deserve a huge shout-out for all their support.” 
 
For Lena, this supportive relationship between new arrivals and the community they’ve found in Lowell is one of the major themes that shines through in the students’ stories: “I definitely feel as though the connecting thread among most was the people or experiences offering them support throughout emotionally challenging periods of change,” she says. “Whether it was a parent, a sport, or a friend, the stories focused on a source of comfort and inspiration, which I feel is a testament to all the writers’ resilience and optimism.”

The Broader Message

Isabel says she plans to get the book into school libraries in Lowell where she particularly hopes it will find its way into the hands of other immigrant youth.  

Lena hopes the authors’ words will have a positive effect on other readers, as well: “In a culture that can be dismissive of diverse experiences, I hope that Bridges can be a small part of affirming the unique outlook that immigrant and refugee youth contribute to their communities, and a reminder of the importance of celebrating stories of all kinds.” 

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Refugees and immigrants make long, difficult journeys to escape violence and rebuild their lives in the U.S. You can give them the help they need.