Youth Voices & Community Schools

Abstract

“In converted buses and tin-roof sheds, migrant students get a lesson in hope”
By Patrick Wood, A Martínez, Lilly Quiroz, & Milton Guevara
First appeared August 24, 2022, NPR Morning Edition

In a time of political debate and increasing hostility toward immigrants and refugees, it can be difficult to remember there are people at the heart of the “immigration issue.” Nonprofit groups like “Yes We Can” work to center immigrants in their own story. With mobile school programs in Mexico, educators serve migrant children living with their families in shelters in the border city of Tijuana. The organizers aim to provide stability and hope for children who find themselves in a difficult situation. Among the lessons are skills for coping with trauma and creating emotional resilience. What started as a temporary program to serve the surge in migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border has now become a necessary permanent fixture.

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Learn more about Yes We Can Mobile Schools

“Leaders of Tomorrow: Immigrant and Refugee Youth – A Guidebook on Leadership Development”
By Sabrina Sheikh & S. Kwesi Rollins
Published September 2021 by the Institute for Educational Leadership

The Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) develops programs to engage and support community leaders. Their “Leaders of Tomorrow” program provides curriculum to mobilize immigrant and refugee populations while emphasizing intersectionality across communities, including racial equity, health, employment, and disability inclusion. By providing development and leadership training to marginalized communities, IEL works to empower immigrant and refugee youth to be prepared for future challenges. In learning to advocate for themselves, participants in the “Leaders of Tomorrow” program will be prepared to
advocate for their communities and other marginalized groups, as well. The guidebook provides details of the
program and key learning objectives.

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Learn more about IEL’s Leaders of Tomorrow program