Building Inclusive Schools:
How NYC’s Dream Squads Initiative Supports Immigrant Students
I co-designed and facilitated Dream Squads, a citywide professional learning and school implementation initiative focused on helping schools create more welcoming and inclusive environments for multilingual and immigrant students. Through partnerships with educators and school leaders across New York City, the initiative reached more than 90 schools, supported 400+ educators, and impacted over 25,000 students through equity-driven practices and community-centered support systems.
I led the curriculum design for the Global Leaders Academy (GLA), a leadership and civic engagement program for multilingual learners rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through project-based learning, community inquiry, and advocacy-centered experiences, students explored local and global issues while developing their voices as leaders and changemakers within their school communities. This was done in partnership with the Office of Multilingual Learners
My work also includes developing educator- and family-facing resources for NYC Public Schools that support immigrant communities and multilingual learners. This includes projects such as the Welcoming and Inclusive Schools for Multilingual and Immigrant Students Guide and the Immigrant Family Empowerment: Advocacy Guide, both designed to strengthen family engagement, increase educator capacity, and make school systems more accessible, affirming, and equitable for immigrant families.
A Guide for New York State Secondary School Counselors, a statewide NYSED-aligned resource created to support school counselors working with multilingual and immigrant students and families. Grounded in the experiences of counselors across New York State, the guide highlights promising practices, advocacy strategies, and school-based approaches that strengthen access, belonging, and support for immigrant-origin youth in secondary schools.
I co-created the Leadership Map, an interactive learning resource designed to help multilingual learners explore leadership through identity, reflection, collaboration, and community action. The resource supports students in recognizing their strengths, understanding different approaches to leadership, and developing the confidence to create change within their schools and communities through student-centered and experiential learning experiences.
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