SMART jump-started the 2012-2013 school year with its first meeting on Friday, September 28. Cardozo Senior High School, Coolidge Senior High School and Wilson Senior High School were represented by 30 students and educators. French and Spanish interpreters were present, but the languages heard across the room included Amharic, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Cantonese and Zambian dialects. The Lead Student Organizers (LSOs), Rahwa Mebrahtom, Tedla Mekonnen, Shen Qu and Lisa Zhao facilitated the entire meeting and each of its activities. 

On Sunday, October 7th, MLOV will be hosting a Guest Talk and Teach-in with Leonila Romero González, as part of a Witness for Peace 2012 Roots of Migration Mid-Atlantic Tour speaking tour. 

Leonila, of the Dimension Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana (Catholic Migrant Ministry) for Mexico and of Las Patronas, works monitoring immigration through Mexico, advocating for migrants, and providing them with humanitarian aid as they make their harrowing travels North. Join us for:

Migrants' Passage and Their Hopes on Their Journey: 
Guest Talk and Teach-in with Leonila Romero

Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm
Date: October 7th 
Location: MLOV Office at La Casa Community Center 
3166 Mount Pleasant Street          
Washington, DC

About the speaker: Leonila Romero González is the Assistant at the Dimensión Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana (i.e. Catholic Migrant Ministry) for Mexico, and a member of the humanitarian organization Las Patronas. For over 15 years, Las Patronas, an organization of women based in Veracruz, Mexico, has provided much-needed sustenance to mostly Central American migrants making the harrowing journey North through Mexico. With the Pastoral (based in Mexico City), Romero works on matters of securing documentation for Central American migrants in Mexico, monitoring activity at migrant shelters in different parts of Mexico, and various aspects of workshops on migration. 

To see "Las Patronas in action," check out the video featured below. 

Many Languages One Voice seeks bilingual Community Outreach/Story-Collecting interns to inform community members of their rights to access public services, gather stories about Limited/Non-English proficient individuals’ experiences, and evaluate government compliance with providing interpretation/translation services. Read on for more information!

Coolidge Senior High School will be the first high school in DC with an "English Language Learner (ELL) Support Group", a student envisioned- and led-initiative meant to enrich the overall experience of the school's ELL families. 

Coolidge SMART members spent this past school year researching the best school-based approaches to addressing issues commonly faced by ELL students. After much research, group discussion, and working through proposals, students presented their idea for an intergenerational team dedicated to transforming their school into a multicultural hub. Coolidge's Principal, Thelma Jarrett, was extremely enthusiastic about implementing this student-envisioned project and celebrated the possibility of engaging more immigrant parents in school activities.

Principal Jarrett requested to meet with students again later this month to review SMART's suggestions for the concrete action steps Coolidge needs to take to successfully implement the group next year. The principal also asked students to consider personalizing the name of the group to include Coolidge's overall mission and vision. 

Congratulations to all our SMART members who made this happen: Lidya Abune, Rahwa Mebrahtom, Yonatan Abune, Melat Tsehaye,  Fasil Tsahaye, Tedla Mekkonen, Basluel Mekkonen, Holy Mbah, Kevine, Ribeka Amanuale, Samuael Seyoum, Nahom Girma, Tensaye Dagnachew

Read more on our SMART blog!