Youth Venture

The Dons Net Cafe is a Latino led student run social entrepreneurial business run on the site of Santa Barbara High School funded through ROP (Regional Occupational Program). All volunteer work is done after school, nights, and weekend. Students teach students how to do taxes under the supervision of our teacher, Ms. B. and IRS Agent Bob Corea. They were named the best tax site in the USA by the Los Angeles IRS office. Not only do we save our community literally 1,000nds of dollars in tax preparation fees but we help immigrants get an ITIN (Individual Tax Identificaiton Number). This is their first step in the citizenship process because it proves residency and shows the person has been paying there taxes.

They are serious about what they do and proud to help low-income and latino non-English speakers who are often scared of the IRS and not sure about things they are eligible for or understand what to do. They also volunteer at the local Housing Authority and translate English/Spanish at AARP tax site.

The Dons Net Cafe also does a lot of street/beach clean ups and graffiti removal in our community. They teach members to be successful business and community leaders. Students get jobs. Their employees are mainly Latino (80-95%) and are role models to all students at our school They also have the highest scholarship rate in the entire Santa Barbara County of all the schools, 91% the closest is 64%.

Check it out DonsNetCafe.com

Venture: Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC)
Agent of Change: Yessica Martinez
Where: Queens, New York

Our youth-led organization began several years ago as we found each other working to pass the Dream Act, a bill that would enable young immigrants to adjust their status after meeting certain requirements, including attending college for 2 years or serving in the military for 2 years. In working to improve our futures and achieve our dreams, we learned that there were very little opportunities for immigrant youth and children of immigrants to develop our leadership skills and create the change our communities need. This is why we formed the NYSYLC three years ago and will continue to create a safe space for immigrant youth to grow as we work collectively to ensure education and equal opportunity for all regardless of immigration status

The YLC has worked tirelessly for the passage of the Dream Act by pressuring representatives through advocacy and actions as well as educating our community and building allies. They enabled immigrant youth throughout NYC and NYS to meet with their legislators and tell them our stories and stress the importance of passing the Dream Act. Because of these meetings, all but one NYC representative have co-sponsored the Dream Act. In April, several YLC members joined the Florida Trail of Dream marchers in our own walk from NY to DC that culminated in the May 1st rally. On June 1st we initiated a 10-day hunger strike outside the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer to demand that he take leadership and move the Dream Act as an stand alone bill.

Furthermore, in keeping with our mission to improve access to education to immigrant youth regardless of immigration status, we have conducted many college access and Dream Act workshops in high schools with students, guidance counselors and parents. This year, we also awarded 12 scholarships to undocumented immigrant youth, for the third time as the only scholarship program of its kind in NY. Most scholarship recipients attended our 2-day training to develop their leadership and organizing skills and will be recognized in September where we will also be releasing our ‘Road to College’ guide for immigrant youth in NYC. Lastly, because we understand the challenges and issues lack of status pose, we have established a growing support group for immigrant youth to sustain our work and organization.

Beyond the Dream Act, we look forward to engage in other campaigns to increase access to higher education for immigrant youth such as gaining student financial aid and addressing budget cuts in our schools.

Check out the video here, and their website at www.nysylc.org

Venture: Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER).
Agent of Change: Jose Salcedo
Where: Miami, Florida

Directly SWER works directly with over a hundred Latino students. We fight for the undocumented students that were brought at a very young age and grew up in the United States and when they graduate from high school their future is uncertain. They can’t pursue a higher education because they have to pay the out of state tuition which is three or four times as much as an in state tuition student would pay. However they can’t work legally because they don’t have the proper documentation required. They are put in between a hard place and a rock by a situation in which they had no control over, yet they still find the strength to go out there every day knowing that it could be their last in the United States.
Many of these students come from various backgrounds, different stories, diverse lives, yet they all have one purpose, they want to continue living in the United States and become what they couldn’t be back in their country of origin. SWER started in Miami by a group of four undocumented youth led by Gaby Pacheco and now this organization has branched out and teamed up with many affiliates throughout the state of Florida to help the youth.

Now Florida along with states such as California, New York, Georgia, Virginia, and many more are leading the fight to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors act (DREAM act). The piece of legislation that would grant permanent residency to those people who came to the united states before the age of 15, have lived in the country for 5 or more consecutive years, graduated from a U.S high school, and have good moral character. Yet, fear and hatred are great but no matter how many obstacles arise we keep fighting for those students who have the will to make this country and even better place.

The video is what a group of our guys, including Gaby Pacheco, one of the founders of SWER. They walked the Trail of Dream from Miami, Florida all the way to Washington DC and they arrived on May first.

Check out their video here