How To Be An Effective Ally

1. How To Be An Effective Ally Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC) Educators’ Conference Saturday, January 21, 2012 San Francisco, CA CREATING A CULTURE OF SUPPORT FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY

2. PresentersRedwood City 2020Community Youth Development Initiative,Immigrant Youth Action Team • Jane Slater- Sequoia High School, Redwood City • ItzelDíaz- Sequoia High School, Redwood City • MaríaFernández- John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities, Stanford University • Sheryl Muñoz-Bergman- International Institute of the Bay Area

3. Agenda • Connecting with your undocumented population • Differentiating students’ views of their documentation status • Recognizing your school’s culture with respect to undocumented students • Creating a supportive school culture • Starting a club • Fundraising • Partnering with community groups

4. Connecting with Your Undocumented Population • Range of time in country • Family members with different status • Estimated numbers of undocumented people by county: • Assume that there is at least one undocumented student in each of your classes

5. Differentiating students’ views of their documentation status • Students’ understanding varies: • Those who know status and advocate for selves • Those who don’t know…find out filling out FAFSA or other applications • Those whose parents want them to hide it • Those who see no hope & have given up • Those who just think things will work out

6. Recognizing your school’s culture with respect to undocumented students What Students See and Hear What Staff Should See and Hear • Positive • Staff publicly addresses issue • DREAM club • Available resources • Staff attempting to speak students’ native language • Negative • The issue is avoided • Negative comments • Staff lacks knowledge • Topics related to undocumented students on staff meeting agendas • Student presentations to staff • Legal expert visits/ guest speakers • Visible info for AB540 students • Posted scholarships not requiring SSN (Naviance) • Go-to people on staff. Public allies you can send students to. • Public conversations (with students & staff) about different immigration status • Respect for confidentiality

7. Starting a Club • Get the students there • Enlist staff allies • Have specific projects to work on (short-term goal momentum) • Develop long-term goals • Develop students’ leadership abilities within the club • Publicize • Connect to community resources

8. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Get Students There • Invite students personally • Include documented students • Encourage members to bring friend(s) • Present to classes • Announce in daily bulletin • Collaborate with counselors

9. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Enlist Staff Allies • Gain administration support • Present yourself as a resource to staff on these issues • Use your personal connections on staff • Connect with staff who can share their knowledge, time & resources

10. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Make long- and short-term goals • Annual Event • Presentations at Middle Schools • Presentations to parents • Participation at community events • San Mateo County Youth Conference, Teens In Action Community Showcase • Fundraising for Scholarships • Political Activism • Rally in support of Dream Act, postcard campaign on Back To School Night

11. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Make the Club Visible • Posters • Yearbook page • T-shirts • School newspaper • San Mateo Daily Journal • Staff presentations • Facebook

12. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Fundraising Ideas • Host events • Sell products • Wedding/birthday gifts • Church Groups • Work with other school groups • Ask for donations from staff and personal network

13. Sequoia High School Dream Club: Connect to Community Resources • Immigrant Youth Action Team • Sequoia High School • Redwood City 2020 • Redwood City Public Library • Fair Oaks Community Center • Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula • International Institute of the Bay Area • Cañada College student group and Upward Bound • Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center • Sequoia District Migrant Youth Program • Alumni

14. Partnering with Community Groups Benefits of Building Community Partnerships: • Partners and supporters who share your mission, work with same population, and can spread your message • More resources (financial and in-kind) to help grow and expand your current efforts • A greater network of individual allies, mentors and partners who build meaningful relationships and experiences with undocumented youth

15. Broadening your Community Partnerships • Who in your community shares your mission or serves undocumented youth in some way? • What are they already doing that can contribute to your efforts? • When can you get together and learn about each others’ work and learn how you can both benefit? • Where can these partners experience what you’re doing and see the impact their potential contribution can make? • How will you make concrete commitments for working together?

16. The Community Youth Development Initiative’s Immigrant Youth Action Team Presents/Presenta: Making Dreams Come True: The Time is Now! Logrando hacer sueños realidad: Hoy es el momento! 11.18.11 Sequoia High School Redwood City, CA

17. Creating a Supportive School Culture • What can you do as part of your every day behaviors to make all students feel safe? • Think of one undocumented student with whom you work. What is one concrete thing you can do as his or her ally to show your support?

18. CONTACT US • Jane Slater- Sequoia High School, Redwood City jslater@seq.org • ItzelDíaz- Sequoia High School, Redwood City idiazbuild09@gmail.com • MaríaFernández- John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities, Stanford University mafernandez@stanford.edu • Sheryl Muñoz-Bergman- International Institute of the Bay Area smbergman@iibayarea.org • Websites: http://www.rwc2020.org/ http://gardnercenter.stanford.edu/ http://www.iibayarea.org/