September 2018 Newsletter

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Dear Enroot Family,  Last night marked a momentous occasion in the history of this state and an important step toward equity for our country. We watched as Ayanna Pressley beat the odds and surprised the naysayers, becoming the first African American woman elected to represent Massachusetts in Congress. The humility and authenticity with which she ran her campaign compelled voters to come out in record numbers and cast their ballots in support of her vision.  Understanding the needs of constituents who she has often described as being "closest to the pain," and giving a voice to many who for so long have felt unheard allowed her to overcome incredible odds to win the race. In her acceptance speech last night she said, “It seems like change is on the way. We have together ushered in something incredible. People who feel seen and heard for the first time in their lives, a stakeholder in democracy and a promise for our future. That is the real victory, that is bigger than any electoral victory. And I want to thank you all for being foot soldiers in this movement and for ushering in this change.” It's powerful for Enroot students to know they are being represented, locally and in Washington, by elected officials who share essential aspects of their identity and lived experience. It's also incredibly inspiring for them to see a leader like Ayanna continue to challenge racial and gender barriers and prove that they can be overcome. Her courageous candidacy and underdog victory embody our country at its best and will no doubt give Enroot students renewed confidence in this country and their place in it. I'm thankful for her courageous leadership and hopeful that continued progress is coming for our communities. Ben Clark Executive Director  Launching the College Success Program A week before students headed off to college, we hosted our first night of College Success programming. Students and mentors met over ice cream to talk about students' college goals and everyone enjoyed the familiarity of the Enroot office before embarking on their college journey. Enroot's College Success program is designed to support students in their first two years of post-secondary education through mentoring, one-to-one coaching, and support navigating the higher education system. Happy first week of classes to our College Success students! Mass Mentoring Partnership Awards Grant Enroot was awarded $10,000 as part of Mass Mentoring Partnership's investment of $750,000 to support quality mentoring throughout Massachusetts. This support will enable Enroot to serve 150 students in Cambridge and Somerville and provide more college access support. Read the full press release here. Meet the new team As we grow to serve 175 students this school year we have also grown our team. This summer we welcomed a new Program Director, two Program Managers, and three AmeriCorps members. Meet Teresa, Georgia, Paola, Tamia, Sophie, and Katie. We are thrilled to have them join our team and excited to leverage their experience in enriching our programming. Please join us in welcoming them.  Get Involved: Volunteer with Enroot We are privileged to be doing this incredibly important work at this time in our nation's history. We are actively recruiting new volunteers for the upcoming school year. If you (or someone you know) are ready to be a part of this movement, please fill out an application today and we will contact you about attending a volunteer orientation. Fill out our Volunteeer Application Enroot is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering immigrant youth to achieve academic, career, and personal success through inspiring out-of-school experiences.

August 2018 Newsletter

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Dear Enroot community, Earlier this summer a viral video showing a white Harvard employee belittling her neighbor who is the mother of a biracial child put on full display the toxic cocktail of racism and classism that often lies just beneath the surface. Sadly incidents like this are an everyday occurrence in Cambridge and most cities. The fact that this one happened to be recorded is providing an opportunity for us all to reflect on how implicit bias and the many manifestations of racism erode the dignity and diminish the experience of people of color. As the father of bi-racial children and leader of Enroot, I reflect every day on how harmful repeated racist and discriminatory interactions can be to a young person’s self-identity and emotional well-being. In this blog post I’ve highlighted a few more examples of how Enroot students and the larger immigrant community experience discrimination and the hard work that will be required of white residents for our communities to become more welcoming, just and equitable. This conversation brings into focus why Enroot is constantly searching for new ways to serve our students. For many years we have wanted to support our students beyond the successful completion of high school. This fall, we are excited to begin this work as we pilot our College Success and Alumni Engagement program. With the benefit of support and resources to transition to post-secondary education, we hope to see more students graduate from a 2 or 4-year college and become gainfully employed.     Thanks for all you do to support Enroot students, Ben Clark Executive Director From College Access to College Success With the generous support of the Lafferty Family Foundation and The Philanthropy Connection, Enroot launches our College Success program this summer. The program is designed to support students in their first two years of post-secondary education through mentoring, 1:1 coaching, and support navigating the higher education system. College Success programming is essential in expanding opportunities for traditionally marginalized individuals and communities and Enroot is uniquely positioned to do this work alongside our students. We are thrilled to announce Enroot AmeriCorps Massachusetts Promise Fellow Georgia Lederman has joined our team full time and will be leading this effort as our Manager of College Success and Alumni Engagement. Read more about our plans here. "I couldn't be more excited to manage Enroot's College Success Program, which will include academic, career,  financial and social-emotional coaching, ultimately leading to an increase in the number of first-generation immigrants who graduate from college and enter the workforce ready to succeed." - Georgia Lederman Enroot student Jarna pictured at freshman orientation. She will study Fashion Design and Marketing at Framingham State University. We look forward to working with Jarna and students like her in our College Success program! Camping in the White Mountains Cambridge students went with Enroot to Moosilauke Ravine Lodge for three days filled with hiking, camp fires, s'mores, friendship bracelets, contra dancing, and exploring the White Mountains. "My favorite part of the trip was the hiking and the views," said Enroot student Nafis, "I also noticed that without cell phones we have so much more time in the day without all the distractions." Read more on our blog.  Get Involved: Volunteer with Enroot Would you or someone you know be a great mentor or tutor for Enroot? We are actively looking for new volunteers for the upcoming school year! Fill out an application today and we will contact you about attending a volunteer orientation this summer.  Fill out our Volunteeer Application Enroot Welcomes New Somerville Director We are thrilled to share that we have hired Teresa Martinez to serve as the Program Director for Enroot in Somerville. Teresa brings 13 years of experience working with youth at Year Up.  She also helped launch their new site in State Street Quincy, which she then managed after the launch. Teresa has a strong passion for working with opportunity youth and is a firm believer, regardless of cultural background or socioeconomic status, that with the right support, resources, and guidance, students can reach their full potential. Teresa was born and raised in El Salvador. She came to the United States at the age of 15 and attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School (CRLS) where she learned English and also participated in the Enroot program (City Links at the time) for two years as a student. We’re particularly excited to have a program alumnus join the team and grateful for all the many talents Teresa brings back to Enroot. Enroot is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering immigrant youth to achieve academic, career, and personal success through inspiring out-of-school experiences.  Website Facebook Blog

June 2018 Newsletter

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Dear Enroot family,  While we celebrate the amazing accomplishments of Enroot students this year, and recognize the many ways immigrants make our community stronger, we are deeply disturbed by what is happening in our country right now. Our government has failed people fleeing danger by enforcing flawed and destructive immigration policies. The Supreme Court decision on the Muslim ban was profoundly disheartening. In many ways our government’s policies and actions fail to recognize the humanity in immigrants. I write to you today in opposition of these hurtful, xenophobic and fear-based policies. I am saddened by the message we’re sending to the world, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters, and the children, women and men fleeing danger in their greatest time of need. This is not who we are.  In response to this moment, I urge you to continue finding new ways to support your immigrant neighbors. Lend a hand and a smile. Check in on them more often as they forge ahead and work to protect their families. Make sure they know they are still welcome here. Please also lend your voice to the wider policy debate. Call and write to your elected officials to let them know how you feel about the way our country is responding to this moment. If you’re in the Boston area, join my family and thousands of others at the big rally tomorrow at Boston City Hall.  Thank you for your steadfast support of Enroot and for doing anything you can to stand with immigrant families, especially during this time. Yours in solidarity, Ben Clark Executive Director Enroot awarded Biogen Foundation Grant Biogen Foundation announced Enroot as one of 6 key partners of the $10 million STAR Initiative to drive the development of local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) ecosystems in Cambridge and Somerville. The 4-year $500,000 investment represents an exciting opportunity for accelerated growth and program improvement. STAR (which stands for Science, Teacher support, Access, and Readiness) is intended to strengthen and support the educational landscapes in these cities by increasing access to STEM resources and opportunities for students most underrepresented in STEM college or career pathways. Please read the full press release here. Celebrating our Students Thanks to all who joined us for the Cambridge and Somerville Celebration at Google and at Center for Arts at the Armory! We had a great time celebrating with students and families, and appreciating their hard work during the school year. Special thanks to our students, alumni, and community members who contributed to the touching speeches and fantastic dances that made the evening so memorable. We appreciate our sponsors for making the event possible: Google, Biogen, William Blair, Cambridge Trust, John Moriarty & Associates, Rockland Trust, MIT, and Eastern Bank.  For more pictures, check out our Facebook page for pictures of the Cambridge and Somerville events.  Congratulations to our Seniors  Sending a big congratulations to all the Class of 2018 graduates! We were also thrilled that Enroot Cambridge Senior, Nidjee, was selected as a Cambridge Super Senior. She was selected for embodying "opportunity," one of CRLS's core values.  Meet our Summer Interns! Sofia, Daniela and Mirella will be supporting Enroot on a variety of projects this summer, from volunteer recruitment and marketing to curriculum development. We are so excited to have them join our team. Read more about them here. Enroot is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering immigrant youth to achieve academic, career, and personal success through inspiring out-of-school experiences.  Website Facebook Blog