*Trip to Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration*

Over several weeks, 19 recently-arrived immigrant students, 9th through 12th grade, gathered for a learning experience that fostered critical thinking, life skills, and community building.

The program was led by Maria (our Community Organizer) and Leslie, a Fellow from John Jay ImSSC, in partnership with educator Juan Carlos Perez and International High School at Union Square.

Some highlights:

Bilingual Programming: Thanks to Leslie and Maria’s hard work, all lessons, activities, and discussions were bilingual, ensuring full participation for Spanish-speaking students.
New Experiences: For many, this was their first exposure to places like the aquarium, the Immigration Museum, the Statue of Liberty, and John Jay College. Five of the students graduating this year are now considering further education.

Critical Discussions: Students explored topics ranging from U.S. immigration history to current events like the U.S. funding to Israel, drawing surprising connections to their own experiences. This led to discussions about how immigrant communities are affected by government decisions.
Systems of Oppression Workshops: The students were most engaged in our Systems of Oppression workshops, especially on cisheterosexism, white supremacy, and intersectionality. They learned to think critically about societal structures and how they impact their own lives.
Life Skills: Students learned about opening bank or credit union accounts, and how to write, send, and receive emails.
Stipends: Students received stipends for their participation.

Students supported each other in learning and growing as a group.

For the final project, we collaborated on a cultural cookbook with 19 recipes and stories. Everyone took a copy home.

Read an Excerpt of our Storytelling Cookbook

Challenges

Because many students had arrived very recently, immigration-related topics like U.S. history and current events were unfamiliar. Some found the conversations on higher education overwhelming. We helped bridge these gaps, but this experience reminded us to meet students where they are.

What’s Next?

Some students are interested in staying connected with NYSYLC's organizing work. If you’d like to help us bring this program to more schools, we invite you to join our organizing team!