Image courtesy of Cerritos College
#sharingthedream2021
Sharing the Dream Conference
May 19, 2021
Virtual and Free
Opening Session - 9:00-10:00 am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Celina Villanueva
Illinois State Senator
11th Senate District
Roberto Valdez
Senior External Affairs
Latino Policy Forum
Session 1 - 10:15-11:00 am
What does immigration status really mean to you?
What does immigration status really mean to you? How can your school/university support DACA and undocumented students?
In this interactive session, participants will have an opportunity to understand what it means to constantly navigate life while thinking about immigration status. Participants will also discuss ways to support DACA and undocumented students at their school and on their campus.
Presenter:
Rachel Haos
Alverno College
*This session was NOT recorded per the presenter’s request.
The RISE Act: Lessons Learned
The RISE Act: Lessons Learned
In this session, we will review the multi-year, multi-organization process that occurred in Illinois to expand state financial aid resources to undocumented students and others who do not qualify for Federal Student Aid. We will then discuss current practices in Illinois with the Alternative Application for State Aid and will share the lessons we learned with advocates from other states working to advance similar bills through their legislatures.
Presenters:
Joe Freeman
Beacon Academy
Steven Landgraf
Michigan State University
The Importance of Self-Advocacy Skill in Hispanic and Undocumented Students
The Importance of Self-Advocacy Skill in Hispanic and Undocumented Students
Latino college students are the fastest growing population in the United States. However, Latino educational attainment yields behind, and more so for undocumented students. This special population needs additional attention in the form of financial, emotional, academic, and cultural support in order to persist, thrive and succeed in higher education. This presentation is for school counselors. It will focus on providing them information and tools that work well with this underrepresented student population to help them increase Self-Advocacy skills, that will conduce them to increase self-efficacy, and self-empowerment to confidently navigate higher education.
Presenter:
Cristina Castillo
Southern Illinois University
Immigration 101
Immigration 101
With an ever-changing immigration landscape, this workshop will give a general lay of the land on the current immigration policies that affect students as they pursue a college credential and potential paths to residency.
Presenter:
Rocio Becerril
Law Office of RSB
Session 2 - 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Career Counseling for Undocumented and Immigrant Student Populations
Career Counseling for Undocumented and Immigrant Student Populations
This session will educate and engage clinicians in the process of supporting undocumented and immigrant populations in equity minded career counseling. Presenter will share a variety of theoretical frameworks, creative approaches, and practical applications to support clinicians in gaining awareness of their own strengths and growing edges within this work. Participants should come prepared to engage in critical reflection of systems of oppression and implicit bias as they pertain to this special population and career implications.
Participants will gain an understanding and background of documentation status including key terms and laws pertaining to this population, evidence based career counseling theory and practices, and empowering students through a collaborative partnership. Special attention will be paid to increasing advocacy and social justice skills.
Presenter:
Pamela Fullerton
College of Lake County
Helping High Achieving Undocumented Students Expand Their College List
Helping High Achieving Undocumented Students Expand Their College List
Too often, high achieving undocumented students assume that their only options for being able to afford to attend college is to stay local or apply to an ivy league institution. We hope that by sharing our experiences and research that you will be able to help your undocumented students who are high achieving realize they have more opportunities available to them than what they might first expect. We will share a list of schools with the best financial aid for undocumented students, tips for standing out in the pool, address the realities and challenges of traveling for college when undocumented, and walk through the benefits these colleges will provide your students.
Presenters:
Jessica Rosenberg
Schuler Scholar Program
Ellen Bakker
Schuler Scholar Program
Joana Sosa
Schuler Scholar Program
Resources for First-Generation Undocumented Students
Resources for First-Generation Undocumented Students
Chicago Scholars serves thousands of first-generation college students from across Chicago through its 7+ year programming model. Over the past 3 years, we have supported scores of undocumented students through the college and financial aid process, securing internships, career exploration, and building their networks. As we have scaled in our approach, we have built training resources for our college counselors, mentors, and staff to better serve undocumented students. In this session, we will share best practices, lessons learned, and opportunities for future collaboration with other stakeholders.
Presenter:
Cindy Agustin
Chicago Scholars
Lunch & Networking Session - 12:00-12:45 pm
Lunch & Networking Session
The in-person conference lunch time has traditionally provided the space and opportunity for conference attendees to meet and talk with one another. While a virtual conference makes this challenging, we invite you to join us during lunch to recreate this networking space in a virtual setting. Join the general networking space or one of the breakout rooms to chat and reconnect with other colleagues in a virtual, informal setting.
If the first Zoom meeting is full, a second meeting room will be opened.
Session 3 - 1:00-1:45 pm
Impact of DREAMers and Undocumented Students Access to Higher Education: Findings from Interviews with 33 DREAMers
Impact of DREAMers and Undocumented Students Access to Higher Education: Findings from Interviews with 33 DREAMers
This session will share the findings from interviews with 33 DREAMers about their experiences with their high school counselors. Some ways on how to better reach out to DACA and undocumented students will be offered. Participants will work in groups to develop some actions to increase access to higher education of DACA and undocumented students.
Presenters:
Julia Albarracin, Ph.D.
Western Illinois University
Rebekah Buchanan
Western Illinois University
Marcy Olague-Jamaica
Pikes Peak Community College
Undocumented Student Mental Health in School and College Settings
Undocumented Student Mental Health in School and College Settings
The Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health (CIMH) is a collaborative community based and research informed partners that includes counselors, educators, and social advocates. This session will cover background, history, social justice, and multicultural frameworks to strengthen the competencies of student support personnel working with undocumented and refugee students. We will explore evidence-based techniques that participants can employ to support the social/emotional, academic and career development of students. We will also address best practices for supporting diverse student mental health needs through a multi-tier system of support in schools.
Presenter:
Oliver Camacho
Northern Illinois University
Family Well-being in the Current Immigration Context
Family Well-being in the Current Immigration Context
The purpose of this presentation is to provide issue education on current and proposed rules changes in immigration, and discuss how it affects the well-being of students, families and communities. Since the new administration has taken office, there have been several proposed legislative efforts and executive actions issued to begin to undo the harm caused during the last four years. This presentation aims to provide the public with accurate and timely information to ensure that community members are equipped to make informed decisions regarding their use of public benefit programs and well-being.
Presenter:
Sarah Cartagena
Latino Policy Forum
Love Crosses Borders: An Overview of World Relief's Experience Serving Asylum Seekers
Love Crosses Borders: An Overview of World Relief’s Experience Serving Asylum Seekers
This session proposes a discussion about the institutional resources and challenges in serving asylum seekers from the perspective of a social service agency. Presenter will draw on the practitioner’s experience as WRC launched the Asylum Project in 2019 and since then have served over 50 clients from +20 countries.
Presenter:
Peter Zigterman
World Relief Chicagoland
Student Panel & Closing Session - 2:00-3:00 pm
Closing Session
Student Panel & Closing Remarks
For undocumented students, challenges due to legal status can impact various aspects of their college search process and later influence their options post-graduation. In this session, we will learn about life during college from a panel of current college students. Panelists will discuss their personal path to a college degree and the challenges and successes they faced in the process. They will also share advice on how counselors, educators, and advocates can better support their student’s journey to college and beyond.
Presenter:
Cristina Castillo
Southern Illinois University
ISBE PD Hours
Conference participants may receive ISBE PD hours. Eligibility will be determined based on each individual’s Zoom timestamp so you must attend LIVE for at least 75% of the session to receive credit. A form must be submitted for each session attended. Once you submit your forms please allow 72 hours for your evidence of completion to be emailed to you for your records.
PD Hours will not be offered for watching recordings later.
In lieu of paying a registration fee for this year’s Sharing the Dream Conference, we ask that you consider making a donation to the Illinois Dream Fund which offers scholarships for undocumented and DACAmented students in Illinois and/or the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling which provides year-round professional development opportunities for college access professionals, student programming, and scholarships for both college freshmen and transfer students in Illinois.
Questions?
Sharing the Dream
Conference Planning Committee
Committee Chairs
Alejandro Campos, University of St. Francis
Sara Espinosa, Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Daniel Tamayo, Northern Illinois University
Jhonathan Vallecilla, Southern Illinois University
Committee Members
Nadia Flores, Knox College
Alicia Funes, East Leyden High School
Celina Hernandez, University of Illinois at Chicago
Faviola Kallas, Northeastern Illinois University
Mayra Lagunas, University of Illinois at Chicago
Sandy López, Northern Illinois University
Abel Montoya, Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Luis Narvaez, Chicago Public Schools
Rigo Padilla Pérez, Solorio Academy High School
2020 Webinar
Webinar PDF
Past Sharing the Dream Conferences
Materials from 2019
Materials from 2018
Materials from 2017
Materials from 2016
Materials from 2015