Note from Executive Director

Dear Friends of Enroot,

It’s with a heavy heart that I reach out again regarding the recent executive orders on immigration. I also come to you with a request for help.
 
When I look at Enroot students and their families I don’t see threats or burdens. I see abundant talent and tireless drive. I see resilience, courage, and bright dreams that cannot be extinguished. I see beauty, generosity and grace that exemplify humanity at its very best. I see my ancestors when they first started out here, and I see yours too.
 
The past few weeks have reminded us how fragile progress can seem and how long the journey to equality remains. They also bring to mind the sacrifices previous generations have made to stand up for our values. This is clearly a time for us to stand up and affirm that Enroot students, their families, and immigrants across this country are valued and valuable members of our community, and that we are more committed than ever to their success.

Many of you have been active in the last few weeks, participating in marches, contacting your elected officials, and rallying your friends to speak out. It makes me proud to know that the extended Enroot family is out there rolling up our sleeves and defending what we believe in. 
 
I hope you'll also consider taking one of these quick actions to show Enroot students they can count on us. Thanks for all you do to support Enroot students and keep our country’s proud legacy of welcoming immigrants alive and well!

Ben Clark
Executive Director

Donate to enroot →

Many members of our community already support Enroot financially. Some donated as recently as last month. But I’m asking you to consider pitching in again to help us raise a $15,000 fund that will help us continue growing to serve more students and connect them with providers of legal services during this time of uncertainty.

build a wall of support →

We are going to build our own wall in the Enroot office and we need your help. Send us a short message of support for Enroot students and their families and we will tape it up as a ‘brick’ in our wall. We need you to help us build it!

share this message →

As you’ve heard me say in previous letters, Enroot students are some of the most optimistic and resilient people I’ve ever met. But this is a moment when the safety net of support we surround them with is needed most. Share this letter and encourage others to stand with Enroot and our immigrant community.

Special Note from Executive Director: Sanctuary Cities

Dear Friends of Enroot:

Like many of you, I’ve found this week’s headlines particularly unsettling. Many of the moves of the President Trump administration seem to violate the values our country holds most dear. For the students and families Enroot serves, they create confusion and anxiety about an uncertain future.

While it can be easy to feel disempowered during  such a barrage of difficult news, I feel more grateful than ever to be working with all of you. We are ensuring Enroot students know they are safe and welcome here, and that we remain more committed to their success than ever. 

I'm also proud that our local leaders in Cambridge and Somerville joined dozens of leaders across the country in responding with unflinching commitment to uphold our values and honor our country's legacy of welcoming immigrants.

Joint statement from Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale

Watch or read message from Somerville's Mayor Joseph Curtatone  

Especially right now, thank you for all you do for Enroot students!

Ben Clark

Reflections on the Women's Conference

December 8th 2016 was a special day for me. I got a chance to join the Women's Conference in Boston on that day.There were seven students in total from Enroot,including me. There were about 10,000 women who joined the conference. It was a huge program to increase awareness of rights and woman power among women. I’m glad that I was a part of that program and learned a lot. There were many women such as Annie Clark, Renee Connolly etc. who are successful in their life, talked on stage about their experiences and struggles. They taught me a lot by sharing their speech. I am going to list some ideas that I learned from the conference.

●    Failure brings your gift
●    You don't ask, you don't get
●    Study, forgive, and understand your parents
●    The way to grow your power to give it away
●    A song is not a song until you sing it, A bell is not a bell until you ring it

There were two parts of the conference. In the 1st part successful women shared their experiences and in the 2nd part we joined in a different session and got to know about “ I Am That Girl ” (a community support for 14-22 years old girl). In the end, I’m grateful for having that opportunity to learn lessons of life.

- Samprity, 12th grade Cambridge Enroot Student

“Life can teach you a valuable lesson from your mistakes”

It was a helpful experience I had at the women’s conference. I learned a lot. I learned about woman power. Power is always and everything. I learned that as a women you need your own power which is actually shows who you are person in this world and society. Don’t worry about making mistakes and taking risk. “Life can teach you a valuable lesson from your mistakes.” These words inspire me so much to do anything I want to do without being scared. I also learned self care is so important. You must stand for yourself and speak out. Be educated and free from sexual violence. These are amazing thing to learn in life, and I got an opportunity to attend women’s conference and learned valuable lessons. We can’t go forward without taking some lessons from the past. I will always keep this experience in my mind.  

- Sana, 12th grade Cambridge Enroot Student