(AllHipHop News) Moroccan-born rapper French Montana is partnering with MTV and Get Schooled to launch the “We Are The Dream” campaign. The initiative is working to amplify resources for undocumented youth and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients seeking higher education.
“I am one of tens of thousands of first and second generation immigrants that are having a significant positive impact on the United States. We are the Dream,” says Montana. “I am excited to lead others in this fight to ensure Dreamers connect with support they need to get to college and make their American Dream come true.”
The “We Are The Dream” campaign includes:
- WeAreTheDream.us: A digital hub housing resources and support for undocumented students and their families, including personal stories, information on scholarships, sanctuary colleges and more. The site includes resources from partners including United We Dream, USC’s Pullias Center for Higher Education, and The Dream.US.
- Text Support: Undocumented students and their families can text “we are the dream” to 33-55-77 with their questions, and a team of trained counselors will answer and connect them with existing resources. All text exchanges are kept confidential.
- Twitter Chat: On February 21st, Get Schooled will host a Twitter chat with key experts in higher education and immigration to discuss resources available for Dreamers to go to college, as well as answer questions from young Dreamers about possible paths forward.
- We Are The Dream Grants: Schools, colleges, and community-based organizations that are committed to supporting undocumented students’ access to higher education can apply for a grant up to $1,000 from Get Schooled to put their ideas into action. For more information, go to wearethedream.us. Grant will be awarded on a rolling basis; the grant application will close March 30, 2018.
A 2015 U.S. Department of Education report states about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school each year, and only 5-10% of those students go on to achieve higher education. California, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington allow undocumented students to receive state financial aid even though they cannot access federal aid.
“The path from high school to college is confusing and stressful for the average high school senior, but even more so for undocumented students,” said Marie Groark, Executive Director of Get Schooled. “We are excited to partner with MTV to spread awareness among undocumented students and their allies that resources are available, college is possible, and they are not alone in their quest to get an education.”
