Youth Empowered in the Struggle
Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) is the youth arm of Voces de la Frontera, and has been recognized nationally for it’s powerful, multiracial youth organizing since it was founded in 2003. YES student leaders have been instrumental in the national struggles for the DREAM Act and immigration reform. At the state and local level, YES has led the struggle for in-state tuition for immigrant youth, and protecting public education by mobilizing the vote on school funding referendums. YES has also won recognition of Martin Luther King Jr Day in the Racine Unified School District in 2009, marched with their teachers in 2011 to defend collective bargaining rights during the struggle against Act 10, the Student Bill of Rights in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) to protect the right to organize in 2012, passage of the MPS Safe Haven Resolution in 2017 to protect immigrant students and families under the Trump Administration.
©Joe Brusky
YES operates through a leadership committee and school-based chapters or clubs. Students who found a chapter at their school have regular student-led meetings to address current organizing campaigns for social justice. Presently our chapters exist mostly at high schools, and also include a few universities. Student leaders also attend weekly leadership meetings at the Voces de la Frontera office to meet with leaders from every school in order to make decisions about campaigns and events, learn about social justice, and receive leadership development training.
The goal of YES is to create a powerful student voice within the school and the community that collaborates with parents and educators to represent the interests of students, immigrants, and workers, as well as advocate for public education.
Interested in starting a chapter at your school? Want to be a YES teacher advisor in your school?
Contact Ari at ari@vdlf.org or 262-994-4678.
Need help going to college?
If you’re undocumented, DACAmented, first generation, a person of color or otherwise face barriers, check out our Higher Ed Resources.
