TA'IALA YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
CHECK OUT OUR TA'IALA YOUTH REFLECTION REPORTS:
eMAIL: info@samoansolutions.org if you are interested in joining our 2025 - samoan solutions ta'iala youth exchange group!
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
EC0A20AA-D95C-40E7-B56A-FAFD6FDD43EE.movProgram Announcement from Maluseu Doris Tulifau, Founder of Brown Girl Woke (BGW)
The Ta'iala Youth Exchange Program strives to provide a transformative cultural and educational experience for Samoan youth living in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Samoa. Participants will engage in a two-week immersion experience designed to:
FOSTER cultural Connection/Reconnection
EMBRACE Cross-cultural exposure
ENGAGE IN educational exchange opportunities - Environmental, Agriculture, Arts, Culture and Government
GAIN understanding of local government practices
PARTICIPATE IN community service/development initiatives
All with the hopes of creating a lifelong impact on participants, promoting a sense of belonging, cultural pride, and global citizenship among Samoan youth. in addition, the program will foster stronger connections and understanding between our Samoan community in the San Francisco Bay Area and Samoa.
This program is a collaborative effort of Brown Girl Woke & Samoan Solutions. through the years, our organizations have worked together on various projects to serve our communities both here & back home. Brown Girl Woke will be the host agency for all activities and logistic support for our delegation of youth from the sf bay area & Samoan Solutions will be the host agency for all activities & logistic support for our youth from samoa.
OPEN TO...
Pacific islander youth in High School - 24 years old
Living in the San Francisco bay area or in Samoa
Who will fully commit to mission of the program & fundraising/financial obligations
2025 - Ta'iala interest list
Interested in joining our 2025 Ta'iala Youth Exchange Trip?
Here are our 4 steps to signing up:
Sign the Ta'iala Interest list
Attend a Ta'iala Informational event
Complete Ta'iala Application
Upon approval, pay program deposit & complete commitment contract
2024/2025 program dates
The San Francisco bay area delegation of students will travel home for 2 weeks during spring break :
2025 DATES: March 28, 2025 - April 13, 2025
*2025 DATES BGW Ta'iala Delegation - TBA
2024 DATES: SS Ta'iala Delegation: March 30, 2024 - April 13. 2024
The Samoa delegation of youth will travel from Samoa to the SF Bay Area in the summer:
Tentative dates: July 13, 2024 - July 20, 2024
TA'IALA COMMUNITY REPORT OUT EVENT
TUESDAY APRIL 30, 2024 -
Our initial Ta'iala Youth group organized the Ta'iala Community Report Out event. The successful launch and implementation of the Ta’iala Youth Exchange program were greatly supported by the community. This is why we felt it was important to organize an event where our youth could share their experiences and the impact of the program.
We initiated the presentation of our Ta’iala Youth individual report boards, which showcased their reflections at the beginning and end of the trip, highlighting impactful, educational, and transformative aspects of the journey. Each young person was assigned to summarize a particular day in their report. Every Ta’iala youth addressed questions, and elaborated on different aspects of the trip as requested by community attendees.
Following this, the youth participated in a live Talanoa session hosted by our Essence of Mana family – marking their first in-person Talanoa Tuesday segment. They fielded questions from the community regarding their experiences in Samoa, discussing their expectations versus reality, favorite moments, food experiences, and emotional reflections from the trip. Additionally, we introduced a fundraising initiative to support our Brown Girl Woke Ta’iala youth exchange trip to the SF Bay Area. In closing, we shared financial and demographic insights from the inaugural trip. We expressed our gratitude to all the hosts in Samoa and listened to reflections from our Ta’iala Program Staff about the trip. Lastly, we unveiled the opening of the 2025 Ta’iala interest list that is now open to our Pacific Islander youth in the San Francisco Bay Area.