For information in various languages, please visit the "By Language" page or click the following buttons for resources in different languages.

The Unafraid Scholarship for BPS Graduates

The Unafraid Scholarship was founded by the BTU's Unafraid Educators in order to provide financial support for students who are not eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government due to their immigration status. It is a one-time grant made payable to the student. The amount of the scholarship will depend on the particular financial need of the student, the number of qualified applicants, and the funds raised in a given year.

In order to qualify for the Unafraid Scholarship students must:

• Be undocumented
• Be a BPS graduate

There is no GPA requirement. Students must submit all materials by June 1st to Unafraidscholarship@gmail.com

Start your application here (bit.ly/unafraidscholarship)

Planning for a Family Emergency Packet

In a time of increased immigration enforcement, many immigrant families are looking for resources to proactively prepare in the event that they are detained and thereby separated from their children. The Planning for a Family Emergency Packet provides an overview of an immigrant’s constitutional rights when confronted by law enforcement as well as introduce key legal tools including how to assist immigrant parents in filling out specific forms to temporarily authorize someone to care for their children including accessing school, medical and other needs in case they are detained or separated.

Materials produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute in collaboration with the following organizations: ACLU of Massachusetts, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston, Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, Community Legal Services and Counseling Center, Greater Boston Legal Services, Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, Kids in Need of Defense, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Northeast Justice Center, and the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project

Know Your Rights Workshops

The Office of English Learners is working with the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement and the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project to provide Know Your Rights workshops for BPS schools. This workshop will inform families and staff of information regarding basic immigrants rights. If you are interested in hosting a Know Your Rights workshop at your school, please contact Ahmed Noor (anoor@bostonpublicschools.org) for more information.

You may download the presentations in the following languages:

• English Updated in January, 2018
• Chinese (中文)
• Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen)
• Portuguese (Português)
• Spanish (Español) Updated in January, 2018

Boston Public Schools has recently updated and made some changes to the Superintendent Circular regarding Educational Access for all Students. We want all families to know that will continue to welcome them and support them, and honor their constitutional right to a free and uninterrupted public school education.

Follow the links below to access the circular in its entirety.

For English, please click here.

Arabic: .لقراءة باللغة العربية، يرجى الضغط هنا

Cape Verdean Creole: Pa Criolu di Cabo Verde, karka li.

Chinese: 閱讀中文，请點擊这里。

French: Pour français, cliquez ici.

Haitian Creole: Pou Kreyòl Ayisyen, klike isi a.

Portuguese: Para Português, pressiona aquí.

Somali: Af Soomaali, halkan riix.

Spanish: Para español, haga clic aquí.

Vietnamese: Muốn xem bằng tiếng Việt, xin bấm vào đây.

The BPS We Dream Together website contains a variety of resources:

Educational Resources: useful links for school leaders, teachers, and support staff to support students and families when conversations arise about immigration and diversity

Family Resources: resources to assist families in understanding their rights, information about BPS, City of Boston, and other community resources, and useful tips to help families discuss current events with their children

Student Resources: resources to assist students with understanding their rights and how to navigate their everyday lives as immigrant or refugee students

Learning Opportunities: upcoming learning opportunities provided for educators and support staff to understand stress and its impact on teaching and learning; learning opportunities for parents to learn more about issues related to immigration and refugee status

Additional Resources: resources to assist families and students identify non-profit organizations and legal assistance that can help them understand their status and immigration options

We at Boston Public Schools (BPS) are aware of and empathetic to the concerns of our immigrant families who are facing uncertain times. BPS continues to work closely with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Advancement and numerous community partners on providing helpful information and services to immigrant families, including students and educators. BPS is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming environment for all students regardless of their immigration status. There has been, and will continue to be, a clear focus on sustaining the personal, cultural, and linguistic identities of our students and families.

Albert Einstein¹ Isabel Allende² Citizenship Oath Ceremony³ Ieoh Ming Pei⁴ Farah Pandith⁵

References

1. Image of Albert Einstein on Viewfoo.com (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.viewfoo.com/uploads/images/702_1433440833_alberteinsteinb.jpg
2. Image of Isabel Allende on Wikipedia.org (n.d.). Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Isabel_Allende_-_001.jpg/220px-Isabel_Allende_-_001.jpg
3. Image of Naturalization Ceremony on Standard Times News. (2010). Retrieved from http://media.jrn.com/images/20100317-201940-pic-700324642_6117213_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
4. Image of Leon Ming Pei on EduBilla.com (2010). Retrieved from http://uploads.edubilla.com/awards-winners/d3/ba/ieoh-ming-pei.jpg
5. Image of Farah Pandith (2014). Retrieved from http://media.linkmedia.rs/2014/05/farahpandith.jpg