Services & Immigrant Rights & Education Network

Last year, SIREN launched its Youth Leadership Program by engaging immigrant youth in local advocacy campaigns, and uniting them through monthly leadership development meetings. Their passion and eagerness to make positive change for their peers and their communities has inspired the first SIREN Youth Summer Institute. Our youth are personally involved in the planning of this Institute and need your help to raise the funds to make it a reality.

SIREN Youth Summer Institute

 Silicon Valley has been described as a tale of two valleys on many occasions. It could not be more true for thousands of low-income immigrant youth growing up in the tech innovation capital of the world.

There are many challenges that immigrant youth face as they try to find their place in this world. In working families where parents often work more than one job, our youth are often responsible for taking care of younger siblings, many do not have access to extra curricular activities to help them develop social and professional skills, and they are seldom challenged by underperforming schools or given the support needed to pursue higher education.

“You can’t be what you can’t see." -- For many youth, the first step toward believing they deserve and can achieve better opportunities than their parents begins with seeing others who were once in similar situations and have gone on to become successful and productive members of society. Through college and industry site visits, we hope to expose immigrant youth to the fields and industries that keep Silicon Valley running, from high tech to start up, and from nonprofit to corporate, to government, we’ll provide an opportunity for our youth to see themselves in those roles, and learn the skills to reach these careers. 

 The SIREN Youth Leadership Institute is designed to provide a supportive and educational environment for youth to learn about community organizing, advocacy, civic engagement, and leadership. By providing them with support, tools, and mentoring networks, we'll work together to discover and develop their power over issues affecting their communities.

 

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SIREN is proud to be a local leader of the immigrant rights movement in Silicon Valley. SIREN empowers low-income immigrants and refugees through community education and organizing, adult and youth leadership development, policy advocacy and direct legal services. SIREN believes that all people regardless of legal status or nationality are entitled to essential services, human dignity, basic rights and protections, and access to full participation in society.