New York State Youth Leadership Council

Video credits: Produced by UndocuEdu members Guadalupe Ambrosio, Laura Pamplona, Isamar Jimenez-Vazquez, Carlos Pérez Valle and filmed by Lucas Gonzalez. UndocuEdu is part of CUNY-IIE.

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Update (1/1/24): We did it!! We will be thanking each and every one of you soon.

To make a donation after January 1st, go to nysylc.org/donate

Update (12/18): We passed our $10K goal!! Thank you for helping us max out the donation matching from Brooklyn Org!

 With your donations, we can buy food and supplies for our community events. We are so thankful for the outpouring of support.

But we're not done fundraising yet. Can you help us reach $20,000?

 In May, we hope to relocate to a bigger and more flexible office space, one where we can host frequent community meetings and events for up to 40 people. Your donations will allow us to find our new home.

WHO WE ARE

The NYSYLC, or New York State Youth Leadership Council, is the first undocumented youth-led organization in New York. We work to empower immigrant youth through leadership development, grassroots organizing, educational advancement, and self-expression. Our goal is to give undocumented youth the tools and space to organize and create change in our communities. 

HISTORY

The NYSYLC was established in 2007 by a group of undocumented youth seeking to articulate and advocate for the unique needs of New York undocumented youth, and build undocumented-led spaces for empowerment and expression outside of policy.

In 2011, the NYSYLC introduced the concept of Dream Teams — local undocumented and immigrant-friendly hubs in colleges and in high schools in all five boroughs. Since then, Dream Teams have been established in 20 schools, reaching 200 members per year.

Since the pandemic started, we have expanded our efforts to support the mental health of undocumented youth through community-building, art, and emotional support. Today we continue to develop undocumented youth leaders and organize for more immigrant resources from the DOE and CUNY system.

Members of the NYSYLC have leveraged their experiences to start new organizations — including United We Dream, Queens Neighborhood United, and Undocu Nature — and become leaders in social justice, education, government, art, and more.

OUR PROGRAMS

Our programs are designed and led by undocumented and formerly-undocumented youth.

Undocu Academy: 9-month training, coaching, and mentorship program for a cohort of 10 undocumented high school seniors. Undocu Academy supports students with college access, professional development, and self-advocacy skills. Students attend group workshops for 4 hours per week and check in twice monthly with mentors.Undocu Adulting: A workshop series preparing young undocumented immigrants for the responsibilities of adulthood. Topics include: time management, making income, working while attending college or graduate school, relationships, personal finance, and budgeting.Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference: A conference for undocumented youth and families, containing workshops on college access, political education, advocacy, arts, and self expression.Undocu Support Group: A support group for young women and gender-expansive youth of undocumented experience. This group is led not by mental health counselors or specialists, but by directly-impacted women on our team who also need a space to share and be supported.Dream Team Network: We support undocumented students with launching and developing Dream Teams: undocumented student clubs for sharing resources and collectively advocating for their needs. Our network has reached over 20 schools across NYC. We collaborate with Dream Teams to advocate for more resources for undocumented students, make schools safer, organize conferences, raise money for scholarships, and more.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Introduced and led the campaign for the NYS Dream Act, which passed in 2019, opening state financial aid to undocumented students.Led a 3-year pilot program for Immigrant Liaisons at five public schools, in partnership with CUNY-IIE researchers, culminating in the report, “A Framework for Immigrant Liaisons,” with the goal of citywide implementation by the DOE.Supported the development of Dream Teams — undocumented student advocacy clubs — in 20 schools and colleges across New York City.Launched the first COVID-19 emergency fund for undocumented youth and families in NYC, distributing nearly $500,000 to over 1,000 families.Organized Teach Dream, a network of NYC educators creating safer schools for immigrant students.

Join us in making New York City safer and more supportive of undocumented youth and families.

Learn more.

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Website: nysylc.org, Email: donations@nysylc.org.