ALAS

ALAS equips youth and educators to eliminate barriers to education, career and freedom with and for youth affected by criminal legal and/or immigration courts.

Organizing Youth: Aspire is our paid fellowship, led by our youth, that organizes youth ages 14-24 affected by immigration or criminal courts to lead systemic change by flipping power dynamics to remove barriers they face to education, career, and civil rights. Aspire organized students to grow in three areas: internal healing, interpersonal relationship building, and institutional change-making.

Training Educators: As the experts, ALAS youth train full schools of educators to support youth affected by immigration or criminal courts. Educator liaisons get trained to write strategic letters to judges and advocate on the behalf of students being affected by the criminal legal or immigration courts, resulting in 100% of arrested youth recuperating their 6th amendment presumption of innocence and 8th amendment bail set at an affordable rate.

Collaborative Advocacy: Together, ALAS youth and educators engage decision makers within the education, immigration and criminal legal systems at the school district, city, state, and national levels. At the school district level, ALAS youth engages the educators and the administrative bodies that govern them.

Testimonials

"I see now that everyone is fighting some type of challenge in this world and I'm glad I got to learn their fight and be a part of the change." - Aspire Fellow

"ALAS has helped my students get what they really need- legal representation, permanent resident status, and grant funding. As a result, we have built a strong community at our school, and a group of empowered parents." - social worker, Rosenwald Collegiate Academy

"They need this in every school." - Trained Educator