Roseann Cazares

“At the Social Justice Leadership Academy Magnet (SJLAM), Humanities Academy of Art and Technology(HAAT), and Engineering and Technology Academy (E&T STEM) at Esteban E. Torres High School, immigrant students will work with I Learn America's youth fellows and artist-educators to channel personal narratives into community-based, artistic projects. Grounded in deep connections with our East LA, Latinx community and applying a restorative justice lens, we'll help children of migration define themselves in relationship to their new land, while building culturally-affirming environments that directly respond to how COVID-19 has increased stress and disconnection. Supported by ILA's team and our own trained migrant youth alums, we'll collectively respond to the social emotional and educational urgency facing our resilient multicultural newcomer students. Through photo-making, street art, and block printing, we are excited to expand ILA's arts-integrated programming to help our students more deeply examine how their cross-cultural experiences encompass central aspects of their identities, while finding time to share laughs and joy despite these uncertain times. Building upon our young people's assets (e.g. resourcefulness, strong familial/cultural bonds, creativity, bilingualism) we will help immigrant origin youth address personal/emotional challenges (self-care), practice self-advocacy, and connect more deeply with supportive teachers and classmates. Collectively, we will rebuild the sense of belonging shuttered by COVID-19, as we build "homes'' where youth feel valued, appreciated and safe to share, listen to, and amplify their stories. Working collaboratively, we will help them develop leadership skills and cultural/community consciousness, while increasing access to needed resources.”