FALLS CHURCH, VA - Partnership to Ameliorate the Life of Minority Adolescents (PALMA), an initiative launched by Boat People S.O.S. (BPSOS) earlier this year, is offering a series of monthly workshops to help local community based organizations develop management, leadership, and grants writing skills.

With funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, seven local community-based organizations formed the PALMA partnership in February of this year. These organizations include Vietnamese American Television, Eternal Spring Association, Vietnamese American Art Association, Lac Hong Dance Group, Ket Doan, and the three local BPSOS branch offices.

The first undertaking of this new partnership is to develop a comprehensive strategy on substance abuse prevention and HIV prevention for at-risk youths among the 27,000 Vietnamese living in Northern Virginia. The strategy will establish a "buffet" of services and activities for youth and also develop funding for each partner to sustain these activities and services.

Introduced in April, the Partnership's series of workshops offers training on various topic areas such as grants writing, fundraising, bookkeeping, QuickBooks, Board development, program management, and performance evaluation.

So far, the Partnership has implemented a number of joint activities, such as a Career Day late last year and a Fourth of July float for the Washington D.C. parade. In September, the Partnership will sponsor a live performance by Lac Hong Dance Group, entitled "Vietnamese-American Cultural Odyssey," and the Children's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.