This month we dove into the richness of the connections that have been built in recent months with students and volunteers while sustaining ourselves with renewed commitment.
At Enroot, we are honoring Black History Month with programming for students and staff exploring Black joy, the multifaceted shades of Black history, how it's woven into American history, and the impact that immigrants have had on this tapestry.
We are continuing to enhance the voices of immigrant youth and their experiences. These past few weeks, we have seen the power of our Enroot voice carry from our collaboration with Loop Lab, in partnership with Audible, to our talk with Jessica Lander at Porter Square Bookstore.
Nothing brings us more joy than looking at what is coming up. In April, we will host our first in-person Career Fair since the beginning of the pandemic. It will be held at the Cambridge and Somerville sites, bringing presenters and hiring managers from local businesses and organizations in the fields of STEM, health care, local government, nonprofits, and much more. Additionally, we are planning for our Enroot Camping Trip taking place in June, a popular event that allows Enroot students to explore nature and wrap up the school year sharing ghost stories and eating s'mores with friends.
With joy and gratitude, I am thrilled to say that so much is happening at Enroot!
Sincerely,
Rose Francois
Executive Director
Enroot Team Highlights
Photo Captions: Top Left: Rose Francois, Lima James, and Vania Loredo share a giggle at the Holiday Party Top Right: Enroot Team celebrates the holidays Bottom Left: Tucker Donelan was gifted some custom artwork from
Enroot students at Somerville High School Bottom Right: Lesley Bunnell and Ellie Villa-Wilson goof off for the camera at the Holiday Party
The Enroot team closed out the last semester with a flurry of activities for students, including Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and Somerville High School teams hosting holiday parties for their respective programs. The Enroot team enjoyed the holiday break and took some much-needed time to recuperate. Enroot’s commitment to work-life balance isn’t just a credo, it is a practice taken seriously. After an extremely busy few months, everyone found the best ways for them to recharge for the start of an action-packed 2023!
Collaboration with The Loop Lab and Audible
Photo Credit: Loop Lab’s crew shooting video at the Enroot office
Special, special thank you to The Loop Lab and Audiblefor featuring Enroot in a video by Loop Lab Apprentice Xavier Montes, spotlighting the work of mentoring programs in Cambridge, including Enroot. This was a special collaboration that brought together mentors and students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
College Success and Post-Secondary
Program Update
Photo Caption: Enroot’s College Success and Post Secondary Program Holiday Party
The College Success and Post Secondary Program gathered for some pizza and fun holiday activities after a wildly successful semester. Post-secondary Associate, Regina Carey, has helped Enroot seniors secure over $223,000 in scholarships! We look forward to sharing more exciting news as acceptances and awards continue to roll in for these applicants!
Cambridge and Somerville Program Updates
Photo Captions:
Left: Enroot Cambridge students in a very serious game of Jenga
Right: Cambridge Mentoring Night
Photo Captions:
Left: Enroot’s Somerville High School Program
Right: Somerville Mentoring Night Bowling
Photo Captions:
Left: Enroot students at a recent ice skating field trip
Right: Enroot students gather for a campus tour of Bunker Hill Community College
"Because of Enroot"
If you follow Enroot’s social media, you may recognize these posters. Enroot’s End of Year campaign featuredfour (4) remarkableEnroot alumni, all of whom are still involved with us in different ways! We asked them to finish the prompt of “Because of Enroot” and were elated to underscore their responses.
Teresais Enroot’s Somerville Program Director, Teni is thriving as a Computer Engineering major at UMass-Boston, creatingPrincess Boba, the world’s cutest robocat, among many other great projects.Reynais now a substitute teacher at her alma mater, Somerville High School.Triis Enroot’s Board Chair, a program alumnus, and one of the greatest cheerleaders for Enroot! There is no better spokesperson to attest to Enroot’s successful programming than those who have participated in the program! We are so grateful and thank them for sharing just a bit of their lives with all of us.
Jessica Lander, Author of Making Americans, Chats with Enroot's Rose Francois at
Porter Square Books
Photo Caption: Jessica Lander and Rose Francois at Porter Square Books
What a great way to engage community members this new year! January 29th, on a very temperate Sunday afternoon, author and educator Jessica Lander sat for a lively and inspiring conversation with Enroot’s Executive Director, Rose Francois.Porter Square Books’ “Be the Change” series hosts authors and civic leaders giving them a platform to discuss their work and to provide resources to community members who are looking to make change at all levels of government and society in general. Jessica’s new book,“Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education”, recounts and reports on the significance of showcasing the educational journeys of immigrants to the U.S., from past to present. She explains why these stories are not widely known and why and how education can promote belonging and inclusion for newly-arrived people convening here from all over the world. Rose’s own experiences as a Haitian immigrant infused the conversation with great heart, with her reflecting upon her moving to the United States and adapting to the U.S. educational system.
A wholehearted thank you toPorter Square Books, who donated 20% of all sales during the event to Enroot in support of our work with immigrant students. You can learn more about Jessica and her important work on her website, and purchase her book online.
Enroot Team Member Spotlight
Enroot’s Molly McCafferty, Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement
When Vania Loredo was promoted to Director of Program in the fall, Enroot began a search for a newDirector of Volunteer and Community Engagement. Enter Molly McCafferty, the latest member of the team who has taken over the role. We sat with Molly for a quick Q & A about her arrival and how she envisions her role as part of the ecosystem that is Enroot.
Q: What brought you to Enroot?
MM: As a person who loves being around and learning with folks with different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures - I wanted to find mission driven work that would allow me to be in community with people from all walks of life. Spaces where young people are celebrated, empowered, and uplifted are my favorite spaces to be and so being at Enroot has been such a delight.
Q: You’ve only been with us since December and already, you’ve made incredible progress in your program. How do you imagine your role within Enroot?
MM: As the Director of Volunteer & Community Engagement it is so fun to be part of Enroot's programming. While I'm mainly focused on recruitment, matching students with mentors, and volunteer engagement, I still get to experience the program. Attending mentoring nights has been such a great way to understand how Enroot operates and to meet our current volunteers and students.
Take a Spin with Enroot at
The HandleBar at Harvard Square
Photo Caption: Enroot Fundraiser at The HandleBar
Come join in the fun! The HandleBar Harvard Square is graciously hosting a fundraiser for Enroot's End of the Year camping trip for our students! We look forward to seeing you there.
Photo Caption: Save the Date for our Career Fair 2023
Enroot’s Career Fair is an opportunity for students to connect with members of the community and learn more about career pathways. This will see a return to an in-person Career Fair since the pandemic. We are looking towards curating an experience that adds value to students’ toolboxes as they explore ways to enhance their network, present their resumes, and start thinking about the future.
