LEADERSHIP - CULTURE - EDUCATION - EXCELLENCE - VOLUNTEERISM
Leadership
VCSA places a strong emphasis on internal and external leadership development through many of the activities and programs that the organization delivers year round.
For internal leadership development, VCSA always encourages the younger members to take on important roles to lead different projects and help them build the confidence and develop their leadership abilities. VCSA applies the principle in every project which is one of the reasons why our organization has grown tremendously and has become well known within the Vietnamese American community across Texas as well as across the nation. Aside from the executive board, we always have a vice-chair or a project coordinator to learn the ropes and prepare to take on the leadership role for the next term.
For external leadership development, VCSA delivers an annual nationwide youth leadership development camp called “Lên Đường” (Embark on a new journey). It has been annually available to young rising community activists across the nation since 1998. Each year, approximately 300 young individuals, ranging from students to young professionals, have learned, sharpened and developed their leadership skills and realized their potential as future leaders. They return every year feeling more motivated and more committed to community involvement. Based on the feedback we have received from campers in the last four years and from tracking the community involvements of each camper, the impacts of these camps have been some of the greatest success stories in the Vietnamese American community in the area of leadership development.
As mentioned in our mission statement, VCSA places an emphasis on developing the youth because they are the fundamental building blocks in achieving our mission to build a strong Vietnamese American community. In order for the youth to be able to take on leadership roles in their community, VCSA focuses on building their leadership skills and transferring knowledge and wisdom to its younger members.
Leadership development strategies
1. Developing the youth members
2. Assign important tasks and responsibilities to young members and provide them necessary support to enable them to complete their tasks
3. Having principles of leadership development central to the way VCSA functions as stated in the mission statement
4. Networking to build leadership
Culture
One of the main goals and objectives of VCSA is to provide opportunities for the enhancement of the Vietnamese youth’s knowledge of the history and culture of Vietnam. The core value of the organization is preserving and promoting the Vietnamese culture in younger Vietnamese American generations and create an environment where these young individuals can reconnect with their roots, appreciate their cultural heritage and become a more confident Vietnamese American in the mainstream society.
Cultural awareness and Vietnamese culture preservation and development strategies:
1. Encourage the youth to learn more about their roots
2. Celebrate the Vietnamese cultural heritage
3. Promote the Vietnamese culture into the mainstream
4. Deliver many programs to share the beauty of the Vietnamese culture to the mainstream society
Education
VCSA has always put a strong focus on education and has encouraged the youth to pursue a higher education if possible. Yearly, we have an annual program to recognize the outstanding academic achievements of high school students who graduated as valedictorians and salutatorians of their class. We are also involved with many institutions and scientific foundations to establish different scholarship programs through which we can encourage students to excel in their academic studies.
One of VCSA’s goals and objectives is to promote mutual assistance, collaboration and the exchange of knowledge and initiatives among professions in order to raise the living standards and intellectual levels of the Vietnamese Americans.
Educational strategies
1. Provide scholarships for higher education
2. Provide scholarships for students with great potential but are limited financially
3. Promote and celebrate excellent achievements in education to motivate young students
4. Promote the “Education First” value of the Vietnamese culture
Excellence
VCSA always strives for excellence in any project carried out. We promote excellence in education, business, in the corporate world and above all, we have a certain standard for quality in all of the projects we deliver.
Volunteerism
Volunteerism is the heart of VCSA. The strength of our organization is in the vast number of volunteer hours that all members and friends put in to deliver numerous community service projects and programs year round.
