See It: The Community being helped

SUFRIR stands for Students United for Immigrant Rights (SUFRIR) and it is the student component of Voces de la Frontera. SUFRIR is an opportunity for students to civically engage in the issues that matter most to them and their families. The first chapter of SUFRIR was formed in Racine at Horlick High School in 2004. SUFRIR students in Racine participated in campaigns for drivers licenses, in state tuition for undocumented students, and comprehensive immigration reform. SUFRIR students have participated in lobbying trips to Madison and Washington D.C. More recently, student leaders in Milwaukee played a key role in organizing a rally on Sept. 12th in Milwaukee in response to the new Social Security no match rule as part of a national day of action. Nearly 10,000 community members participated in the rally, making it the largest rally among participating cities.

SUFRIR builds leadership among immigrant and Latino students. Through the process at Horlick student achievement has risen, discipline problems have fallen and divisions that once existed between Latino and immigrant kids have decreased. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of immigrant issues has developed among staff and students at the school. Many of the students who have risen to leadership positions in the club have been recognized by the community and received scholarships. For example student leaders, Xavier Marquez,Cecilia Leal, Louisa Morales and Viviana Pastrana have all received the Hispanic unsung hero award in Racine. Student advisors Al Levie and Ryan Knudson have also received the award.

Students throughout Wisconsin should have the opportunity to take this kind of leadership role in engaging in immigration issues like in state tuition, the DREAM act, Social Security no match letters and others. As such, Voces is expanding SUFRIR to high schools and Universities throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Voces website-
www.vocesdelafrontera.net

See It: The Community being helped

Los Patriotas, El Club de Español, is a community service club. In short, the students of Sullivan East High School's Spanish Club, Bluff City, Tennessee, discuss and vote on projects they want to support during the school year. The members have decided that for the Fall of the 2007/2008 school year they would like to adopt a community in the Dominican Republic, in particular, the community of Puerto Plata. (The Spring community service project will be our 2nd Annual Food Drive.) In addition to the Spanish Club, numerous students and clubs expressed interest in joining the effort to raise needed items for Puerto Plata. Those clubs include Health Ocupations Students of America (HOSA), Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Key Club, and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Brittany C. a member of of my Spanish III class and an active member of the Spanish Club submitted a proposal for a $500 GameStop Youth Grant with the DoSomething Organization. The proposal was to include twenty cases of lollipops with all of the clothes we have collected so that she could share a little bit of herself with the children of Puerto Plata. On December 4th, a DoSomething representative, Ms. Jordyn Wells, gave Brittany a call informing her that she had been awarded to the grant. AWESOME job Brittany! Read Brittany's Proposal at: http://www.scde.k12.tn.us/ehs/spanish/Pages/Word%20Files/lollipops.doc