We have returned home. Last week 99 Bishop Allen Drive, “Non-profit Row” officially reopened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority. It was an exhilarating moment for the entire Enroot team to be able to return to offices that have been shut due to COVID and construction. Change is a constant and as we embrace the transitions of leadership and programmatic activities, it also means exciting opportunities and growth on many fronts. One thing that has stayed constant is our core value of ‘Students First’.
We continue to operate through the ongoing pandemic, delivering programming in a hybrid model and remaining committed to providing students with quality supports both in-person and virtually. This year we have extended our College Success Program to support third-year college students and are seeing college students make amazing strides towards their goals. To better support our workforce students, we are conducting more research in non-traditional alternative post-high school pathways with changing national trends and shifts in student needs.
In this newsletter, we are thrilled to share more about our 2022 Career Fair Week happening this week! And share clips of my interview with Dachenie, an incredible student in our program.
We look forward to welcoming you all to visit the remodeled Enroot space very soon! Thank you for being a part of the Enroot family, and for making an impact on the lives of immigrant students.
With deep gratitude,
Rose Francois
Interim Executive Director
Dachenie Ganthier
Enroot is so proud of one of our phenomenal students, Dachenie Ganthier who expressed enthusiasm and a desire to speak about her experience at Enroot through an interview. We are excited to launch this interview series with more video clips to come in the coming days.
Dachenie’s journey reflects that of many immigrant youths, having to navigate a new country with the responsibilities of an adult. The impact of Enroot can not be overstated. In this interview, Dachenie and I reflect on our lives as Haitian immigrants.
Stay tuned and don’t forget to check out our social media for the videos!
This Week: Career Fair Week April 4-8, 2022
Enroot is once again hosting a career fair in 2022! This year, Enroot is expanding the career fair from a virtual one-day event to a hybrid event with a full week of career pathways programming. Our primary goal is to provide students with exposure, knowledge, and networking in various career pathways. Unlike traditional walk-through career fairs, Enroot’s Career Week will include a slate of hands-on programming including panels on STEM careers; entrepreneurship; trades; workshops on developing a brand and being confident during interviews; and providing 1:1 resume and interview support.
Speakers will be from Cambridge, Somerville, and Greater Boston, bringing a wealth of knowledge and exposure to students from the biotechnology world, medical sector, finance and banking, higher education, local government, and much more! Students will learn from and network with representatives from Amgen, Google, Cambridge Savings Bank, City of Cambridge, City of Somerville, and more.
The week’s programming includes Career Tip of the Week Videos, Google Panel, Cambridge Savings Bank Panel, Amgen Panel, Be Your Own Boss Panel, Internships Panel, Jobs That Change the World Panel, Landing Your Dream Job in the Pandemic Panel, and a Career Fashion Show!
Career Fair Week will help immigrant students and recent graduates see themselves as the diverse workforce of the future. Compared to native U.S. born students, our students often do not have vast family connections into different workforces nor exposure or an entry point into networks required to navigate and succeed in the academic and career pathways in the United States. This event will provide immigrant youth with access to local leaders in a variety of fields so that they can make connections, identify potential career options, and participate in panels and workshops that will provide hands-on advice on how to move toward achieving their career goals.
Your financial gift will make it possible for Enroot to support Dachenie and students just like her, immigrant youth with big dreams and capable of endless possibilities.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS!
Our Primary Sponsor:
Other Sponsors Include:
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Microsoft, William Blair, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and RepHAIRations
How Can You Support Us?
Spring is here and soon it will be time to wrap-up the academic year. Help us finish the academic year strong by supporting our:
Career Fair Week
End of Year Celebrations
Soccer Game for students
Continued weekly 1-1 mentoring and tutoring
Post-secondary preparedness workshops for high school seniors and juniors
1-1 coaching for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year college students
Continued social-emotional and wellbeing support
I hope you’ll consider supporting Enroot students by making a financial contribution as part of our Spring Giving Campaign. You may be able to double your donation by checking if your employer will match your gift! See if your employer matches at www.enrooteducation.org/donate.
The 99 Bishop Allen Building in Central Square has been a home for non-profits for decades! The building was bought by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, renovated, and officially now back open. It is now home to at least 11 non-profits, including Enroot. The building ribbon cutting took place last week on March 30th! We are so excited to be back in the office!
CLICK HERE to read more about it!
CLICKHEREto see some photos and videos!
Program Activities
Enroot has been successful in continuing to provide quality programming to students amidst the continued uncertainty we experienced around re-opening and in-person programming at the beginning of the academic year. The key for us was to remain flexible. We have been successfully providing hybrid programming this academic year.
Programming provided included workshops and sessions on post-secondary planning, Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity (DBIE), STEM activities, self-confidence, and self-advocacy. Specific activities that have taken place include: DBIE trauma-informed workshops, mentoring nights for Cambridge and Somerville, self-care and stress management workshops, student financial aid workshops, identity and authenticity workshop, communication skills workshops, seminar with the student immigrant movement (SIM), finance and personal credit workshop, college success panels, time management workshops, Black History Month program activities, personality and character assessment workshops, and mock interview and resume writing workshops. Other fun activities, field trips, and celebrations have also taken place including bowling, ice skating, and Uno game night.
Volunteer Recruitment - Spread the Word!
Our new mentor application for Fall 2022 is now open! If you or someone you know is interested in being part of an amazing group of volunteers and connecting with immigrant youth in the Cambridge and Somerville area, this is a great way to learn and partner with the community.
Mentoring will be in person for the next academic year. Mentors and students will be meeting either in Somerville High School or Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
As we celebrated National Mentor Month in January, Enroot highlighted the work of our Volunteer Committee.
Ava, the Committee's Co-Chair, spoke about her experience mentoring with us. She described her mentorship journey at Enroot and the connections she formed with her mentees. She also told us a bit more about the purpose of Enroot's Volunteer Committee.
Benjamin Rosado shared reflections on what he has learned while at Enroot and his connection with his mentees. Over the years, Benjamin has created close relationships that have opened up students' attitudes towards sharing more. It is definitely a process, Benjamin says, but one that he has truly leaned in towards being open and showing up for them as much as his students need him to be.
