50ENGAGE!  |  e xo d u s  &  e n t ry

Y O U T H  V O I C E S  
&  C O M M U N I T Y  S C H O O L S

Youth Voices &  
Community Schools

“In converted buses and tin-roof sheds,  
migrant students get a lesson in hope”  
 
By Patrick Wood, A Martínez, Lilly Quiroz, & Milton Guevara 
First appeared August 24, 2022, NPR Morning Edition 
 
 In a time of political debate and increasing hostility toward immigrants and refugees, it can be difficult to 
remember there are people at the heart of the “immigration issue.” Nonprofit groups like “Yes We Can” work to 
center immigrants in their own story. With mobile school programs in Mexico, educators serve migrant children 
living with their families in shelters in the border city of Tijuana. The organizers aim to provide stability and hope 
for children who find themselves in a difficult situation. Among the lessons are skills for coping with trauma and 
creating emotional resilience. What started as a temporary program to serve the surge in migrants near the U.S.-
Mexico border has now become a necessary permanent fixture.

Read the article Learn more about Yes We Can Mobile Schools

“Leaders of Tomorrow: Immigrant and Refugee  
Youth – A Guidebook on Leadership Development” 
 
By Sabrina Sheikh & S. Kwesi Rollins 
Published September 2021 by the Institute for Educational Leadership 
 
The Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) develops programs to engage and 
support community leaders. Their “Leaders of Tomorrow” program provides curriculum to mobilize immigrant 
and refugee populations while emphasizing intersectionality across communities, including racial equity, health, 
employment, and disability inclusion. By providing development and leadership training to marginalized 
communities, IEL works to empower immigrant and refugee youth to be prepared for future challenges. In 
learning to advocate for themselves, participants in the “Leaders of Tomorrow” program  will be prepared to 
advocate for their communities and other marginalized groups, as well. The guidebook provides details of the 
program and key learning objectives.

Read the guidebook Learn more about IEL’s Leaders of Tomorrow program

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/24/1118858805/mexico-migrants-education-school-tijuana-children
https://www.yeswecan.world/mobileschools
https://iel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Guidebook-Final_accessible-version.pdf
https://iel.org/leaders-of-tomorrow-student-profiles/