Resources for Supporting Immigrant Students and Families
For information in various languages, please visit the "By Language" page or click the following buttons for resources in different languages.
Arabic website.m4aEnglish website.m4aPortuguese-We Dream Together.m4aWebsite Cantonese.m4aHAITIAN - We Dream Together.m4aSomali BPS We Dream Together 1.mp3Cape Verdean- We Dream Together.m4aWebsite Mandarin.m4aSpanish website.m4aFor DREAMers and Educators
Special Circle: “To Immigrants with Love”
Jessica Madden-Fuoco, the Director of Teaching and Learning at Boston Green Academy, wrote a restorative justice circle plan "To Immigrants with Love" to affirm and embrace our students, staff, families, and neighbors who are immigrants. It's the first circle in the Boston Green Academy Circle Plan document. Please note: some parts will require modification for early elementary students because of sensitive content/language.
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)
Emergency Planning Guide for Families
The Massachusetts Office of Attorney General Maura Healey put together a Guide for parents with uncertain immigration status since they may be concerned about the care and custody of their children in the event of sudden detention or deportation by federal immigration officials. The guides provide legal options to consider and are currently available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
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
Boston Medical Center Pediatric Family Preparedness Plan
- Family Preparedness Plan - Document where parents and caregivers can list important information about themselves, their families and their children in case they have to be absent, like in the event of detention or deportation.
- Family Preparedness Plan Facilitators Guide – Guide for providers helping families to complete the Family Preparedness Plan
- Applying for a Passport for Children Under 16-years Old – Guide with information on how to apply and documents needed when applying for a passport for a child or youth younger than 16 years old.
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
ILRC put together a list of useful DACA resources including information about DACA renewal and how the ending of DACA program would affect work permits, social security numbers (SSNs), and etc.
Updated FAQs regarding the announcement that USCIS is accepting DACA Renewal Applications (January 14, 2018)
Partnered with MIRA Coalition, BTU Unafraid Educator groups created the Unafraid Scholarship for Boston’s High School Students. BTU also has useful Resources for Undocumented Students Applying to College.
Please also visit the BTU Unafraid Educators website to learn more.
The National Education Association compiled a list of resources and information that is important for educators and students to know. Please click the following link to view the file: The End of DACA—What This Means for Educators and Students
Rethinking Schools put together resources for explaining the DACA Program to Elementary School Students. 800,000 REASONS TO TEACH ABOUT DACA: Resources for Explaining the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program to Elementary School Students
NILC provides important, up-to-date notice about DACA as well as questions and answers about DACA under Trump administration. In partnership with the Undocumented Student Center at UC Davis, NILC just launched The Butterfly Story Collective podcast series.
In light of the recent political climate, Re-imaging Migration put together suggestions for educators to support DACA students in the classroom.
Superintendent Circular: Educational Access for All
Updated February, 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.
Boston Public Schools Vision
As the birthplace of public education in this nation, the Boston Public Schools is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life.
BPS educators and staff joined United We Dream and many other educators across the country to demonstrate our support for our immigrant and undocumented students and families. #EducatorsOut #UnafraidEducators #BPSTakesAction #EveryoneisWelcomeHere
A Glimpse at American Immigrants
Albert Einstein1 Isabel Allende2 Citizenship Oath Ceremony3 Ieoh Ming Pei4 Farah Pandith5
Mayor Walsh Press Conference on Immigration
References
- Image of Albert Einstein on Viewfoo.com (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.viewfoo.com/uploads/images/702_1433440833_alberteinsteinb.jpg
- 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
- 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
- Image of Leon Ming Pei on EduBilla.com (2010). Retrieved from http://uploads.edubilla.com/awards-winners/d3/ba/ieoh-ming-pei.jpg
- Image of Farah Pandith (2014). Retrieved from http://media.linkmedia.rs/2014/05/farahpandith.jpg