Dear Friends,
I am so proud of the work that Northern Arizona Interfaith Council is doing right now. Last month, NAICL (our education and training arm) provided training for 60 teachers, counselors, and nurses in Flagstaff Unified School District, helping them support immigrant students and families at a time of great uncertainty. The response to the pre/post survey was remarkable.
Percentage of Fall 2017 NAIC Immigration Training respondents who agree or strongly agree:
|
Pre-training |
Post-training |
|
|
I am aware of my preconceptions of undocumented students |
57% |
91% |
|
I am informed about the federal, state, local, and institutional policies directly affecting undocumented students’ experience in high school and college |
19% |
70% |
|
I am informed about how the barriers directly affecting undocumented students’ experience in high school and college affect their mental and emotional wellbeing |
46% |
95% |
|
I am aware of community resources and services for undocumented students |
8% |
70% |
These trainings were the result of more than a year of organizing. Key to the project was our collaboration with Community University Public Inquiry (CUPI) at NAU, a project that links undergraduate researchers with community organizations. Our student research partners helped conduct interviews and participated in house meetings with teachers, counselors, and immigrant families. They helped connect with DACA students at NAU who joined CUPI and helped create our local training. And the Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff provided financial support for teachers to participate in the training and NAIC organizing efforts for immigrant students.
FUSD Superintendent Mike Penca is thrilled with the results of this collaboration and supports building core teams of faculty and staff in each school who can be an ongoing resource and help organize to support immigrant families. He has invited NAIC to train administrators as well as offering additional trainings for teachers and counselors this spring.
To continue this exciting work, we need your help. Will you please make a tax-deductible contribution to NAICL to help ensure that immigrant students and their families get the support they need from our schools? And will you help us organize to bring this information to your congregation, school, or workplace and encourage them to become an NAIC member? Please click here to donate: https://naicl.org/giving/.
Thank you for your support and for all you do.
Sincerely,
Leah Mundell
Co-Chair, Northern Arizona Interfaith Counci