2020
Annual Report
New York State Youth Leadership Council 2020
We are an undocumented youth led organization fighting for justice and healing for our community through education, organizing, advocacy, and grassroots fundraising.
2020 was a very rough year for all of us. We are still surviving a pandemic and the long lasting impact of an economic crisis. Through these obstacles, we rose up to meet the needs of our community.
We want to highlight some of the most memorable moments of our 2020.
Our COVID-19 Response
Many of our directly-impacted members had no safety net when the pandemic caused their households to lose income and employment, and yet their families were ineligible for unemployment benefits and other relief packages due to their immigration status. Furthermore, the resources that were available to the undocumented community were difficult to find. In many cases, undocumented youth became the primary earners for their households and helped their families access critical information and resources.
With the help of our supporters, we raised and distributed over $480,000 of COVID-19 emergency funds to hundreds of undocumented youth and their families in 2020.
We also created and maintained a resource list for undocumented people in New York City surviving the pandemic.
The resource list has over 17,000 views.
Expanding Our Education Work!
We work with undocumented students throughout the year. Despite having to cancel our annual conference and having to transition into virtual learning, we still supported students through their higher education journey.
In fact, we actually expanded our educational work in 2020!
“I am one of the Junior Academy Coordinators and I have been working on creating a curriculum for the program, creating orientation, agendas, selecting students for the Academy, preparing material for the Academy, etc. I am really looking forward to the Academy and see where it goes and how impactful it can be.”
“The pandemic really impacted me. It has been really stressful times with lots of uncertainty. But the NYSYLC washed that away with this Education Fellowship and providing me with work.”
Undocu Junior and Senior Academies
Our Undocu Junior and Senior Academies met virtually throughout the year. They supported students by hosting: college application support and scholarship clinics, adulting workshops, New York Dream Act information sessions, legal screenings and much more. Our Education Team stepped up to the plate and created a space for students to obtain the resources they needed in a space where they felt safe and represented.
“I am so proud of the Undocu Senior Academy and how the students have been able to achieve so much while surviving a pandemic. It is unbelievable. I am very proud of them for all of their accomplishments, even the small wins. ”
“Organizing materials for the Junior Academy was a lot and at times I felt so lost and incapable BUT with the support of other NYSYLC staff, along with workshops, I was able to do it! Facilitating a whole presentation for the Senior Academy mentors was nerve wrecking and a little scary.
This was my first time presenting virtually.
It was a great learning experience. ”
Dream Team Network
Our Dream Team Network was impacted by school closures. It was impossible to have meetings in school or on campus. Our Network met virtually and watched movies together, played games, shared resources, supported each other and were in community.
“In 2020, students’ resilience and want to continue to grow even during these challenging times really impacted me. Whether they were Dream Team Network Ambassadors or a part of the Undocu Senior Academy, they all showed a lot of leadership.”
Teach Dream x NYSYLC
In 2013, the NYSYLC began collaborating with Teach Dream, a group of educators dedicated to supporting non-citizen students that was then a working group of the New York Collective of Radical Educators. In 2020 we officially merged!
Over the past 7 years, that collaboration has blossomed into a network of educators working to support their immigrant students and families. By formalizing our merger, Teach Dream and the NYSYLC expanded our collaborative work to support our students, their families, and organize with educators seeking to do the same.
Organizing During a Pandemic
While providing emergency funds and creating spaces for our community to decompress, we also moved to organizing virtually. In 2020 we hired a Full-Time Community Organizer to focus on building the infrastructure to move our members into action. This was exciting for us because for the first time we were able to have 3 full-time staff members on our team. It is testament to our hard work. Our Community Organizer connected with community partners, joined coalitions fighting against ICE in our communities, and established a emergency response DACA group. He supported individuals dealing with eviction to other legal needs.
We used media to connect with our community, share resources, and create virtual spaces.
“Joining NYSYLC has been a great experience. Not only have I been able to do a lot in my role even though it had to change, I have met great people. I am responsible for organizing and trying to create some sort of change through our efforts. I am growing into my role and although I still have a lot to learn I have been able to be a part of some great efforts from DACA response, working against ICE in our State, helping our staff and members who are dealing with some of the social issues going on, info sessions for our community working with other organizations and building relationships, and now trying to become a part of the national efforts around immigration!”
Using Media To: Organize, Educate, and Share Resources and Information
During 2020, we received a decision from the Supreme Court about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the results of the election. This impacted our work as a directly-impacted led organization. As undocumented people, our lives are highly impacted by legislation, electoral politics, and court decisions. During the pandemic and once DACA was reinstated; our team responded to the needs of our community through media. We hosted information sessions on housing, the NY Dream Act, Deferred Action, rent strike organizing and other topics. We also provided internal spaces for our team to talk through what these decisions mean and how we could show up for our community.
The pandemic demanded an increase in virtual engagement. Our media work increased during this time. We hosted several instagram learning opportunities on topics around crimmigration, conversations about mutual aid for undocumented people with our Co-Executive Directors, and a Beyond the U.S. Instagram series, featuring people who left or have plans to leave the United States.
The full series is available on our Instagram IGTV.
In 2020, we gained over 10,000 followers on Instagram! This allowed us to use the swipe-up function on our stories. This made our events and information more accessible to our members. This also means people care about what we have to say and want more content from us.
YOUTUBE
On our YouTube we were able to witness the season finale of The Life of Ana Vlog. Ana started this vlog to document her senior year as an undocumented student during this time.
We also launched a new YouTube series called Chat It Up!, in which members of our team talk about being immigrant children and being undocumented students in private colleges.
The episodes are on our YouTube channel.
Using Media To: Fundraise
The promotional materials above were created by artist Metzli Nieves
Giving Tuesday
Our Fundraising Team also organized our Annual Giving Tuesday campaign where we challenged people in the community to raise donations for our work before the year ended. We were able to raise over $30,000 in donations just from this effort alone! Look out for our 2021 fundraising campaign.
Virtual Art Auction
After we were forced to cancel most of our fundraising events, our Grassroots Fundraising Team strategized new ways to raise money for our work outside of traditional galas and community events. Using media, we put together a successful virtual art auction in collaboration with artists across the country.
Appreciation
From left to right
Angy Rivera Co-Executive Director
Ivan Rosales Finance Director
Guadalupe Ambrosio Co-Executive Director
We want to appreciate our senior leadership team! Angy, Ivan and Guadalupe worked tirelessly to ensure NYSYLC was able to support staff and members throughout the year. By raising funds, providing emergency funds, restructuring our goals and being flexible and gentle with the work we thought we would accomplish in 2020 they modeled what it means to be a directly-impacted led organization.
“As an immune compromised person, the pandemic impacted my mental and physical health. We had the financial infrastructure to allow me to take breaks while being paid and be able to focus my health when needed.”
LOOKING TO 2021
What is a hope or a wish you have for NYSYLC and our members during 2021?
“NYSYLC provided a lot of hope for many people not only staff and members but nationally too. We have created a blueprint and example that is being amazingly incorporated in other organizations and spaces that uplift youth and immigrant rights.”
Thank you to the funders who believe in our leadership and vision
Income
*Unaudited financial statements, audited financial statements available in Summer 2021.